


Danganronpa Elysium

by Detecgenerate



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Disco Elysium
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Amnesia, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Colored Text, Corpse Desecration, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Drinking to Cope(Implied), F/M, Hangover, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Murder, No Smut, Out of Character, POV First Person, Slow Burn, Suicide Attempt, Video Game Mechanics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 13:24:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 145,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21477106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Detecgenerate/pseuds/Detecgenerate
Summary: Kaede Akamatsu(Though *she* doesn't know that yet) wakes up in a completely trashed hostel room, with voices in her head and an important case to solve.Logic - A lynched body.Inland Empire - Good try.Shuichi Saihara leans on a wall, reading a novel - and tapping his foot.Perception - Waiting for someone.Inland Empire - *You*.Spoilers for the Danganronpa series and Disco Elysium.Latest Chapter - 55. Dots
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede & Everyone, Akamatsu Kaede/Naegi Makoto (Past) (Mentioned), Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi, Harukawa Maki/Momota Kaito, Oma Kokichi & DICE, Saihara Shuichi & Everyone
Comments: 24
Kudos: 81





	1. Mechanics

**Author's Note:**

> Small note: Corrections might be made for misspelled words and stuff almost days after the chapter is posted. Sometimes - this appears at the top even though there isn't a new chapter. Apologies!
> 
> Critiques and feedback are greatly appreciated.
> 
> Kaede will be INCREDIBLY out of character for the first day (as I have to go through all the main character did), and some dialogue may sound quite out of character as well. I'll try my best to write their personalities as perfectly as I can, but it might not sound...like them.
> 
> Oh! Before I forget - it is recommended that you keep the work style on. Makes it easier to read skill conversations. (Though  Empathy  and  Thoughts/Monopad may be harder to read.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Incredibly large info dump.
> 
> If you want to, you can skip this chapter, as this is only a chapter based off the video game mechanics, which some people may be interested in. If you're not interested in those, you can just skip this chapter after reading what the skills do(if you're even interested in *that*).

For this fic, I'm using the attribute and skill system from Disco Elysium. First of all, there are a total of four attributes.

Intellect: How smart the character is.  
Psyche: Emotional intelligence and sensitivity, as well as the character's power to influence others and themselves.  
Physique: How strong and well built the character is.  
Motorics: The character's agility and "how well they are able to move their body".

Now, we move on to skills. There are 6 skills per attribute, all with different purposes. Too much of a skill can be bad, but too little of a skill can also be bad. For example, too much "Drama" can make you lie for no reason whatsoever, but too little makes you unable to lie convincingly.

The game also makes you select a signature skill for the Character. I wasn't really sure what to pick, so I went with "Perception".

Skills under "Intellect"

Logic - "Raw Intellectual power", as the game suggests. Basically piecing things together to fit the puzzle.

Encyclopedia - Knowledge and fascinating trivia. 

Rhetoric - "The art of persuasion", basically used for debates or pointing out inconsistencies.

Drama - The character's ability to lie and detect lies. (basically what Kokichi maxed on his first playthrough)

Conceptualization - Creativity and the ability to "see art" in the world. (This one is a bit strange)

Visual Calculus - Reconstruction of crime scenes and physics. (In the game, it basically lets you see things on the crime scene, like possible angles of shots or the tracks of a vehicle.)

Skills under "Psyche"

Volition - The character's ability to hold themselves together and keep their morale up.

Inland Empire - Hunches and Gut feelings. (They also describe it as "dreams in waking life").

Empathy - The character's ability to understand others' feelings and emotions. (Picking up on sadness, etc.)

Authority - Intimidation, allowing the character to assert themselves.

Esprit de Corps - Connection to the character's station (in this case, class) and understanding of cop culture.

Suggestion - A "soft-power" approach, where you implant ideas into the mind of others, making the character more affable to people.

Skills under "Physique"

Endurance - The character's metabolism and circulatory system. (Basically how much damage they can withstand)

Pain Threshold - The character's ability to ignore damage so the character can push on, no matter how damaged they are. (Includes mental pain)

Physical Instrument - How strong the character is, and how healthy their organs are. Basically how powerful the character's muscles are. (As well as how they use their muscles effectively.)

Electro-Chemistry - The character's ability to take drugs with less negative side-effects.

Shivers - A super-natural ability. (That's all I'm going to say for now.)

Half Light - The character's fight or flight instinct. Basically a survival instinct.

And finally, the skills under "Motorics"

Hand-Eye coordination - Catching things in mid air, shooting, and the character's understanding of firearms.

Perception (Signature Skill) - See, hear and smell everything to the smallest of details. Enables the character to take in what others don't notice. Things hiding under the floor boards, the bead of sweat that dropped down the suspect's neck, etc. (I went with this due to Kaede's enhanced hearing.)

Reaction Speed - The character's instinct of dodging punches, knives and bullets, as well as catch verbal sucker punches. (Would've preferred verbal bullets, honestly.)

Savoir Faire - The character's acrobatics and stealthiness.

Interfacing - The character's understanding of machines and how to use and improve them. It also helps with anything to do with writing or hands in general. You can analyze the way a suspect used a pen, things like that.

Composure - The character's ability to not crack under the pressure, especially when in front of other people.

After this point, if you're not interested in the RPG mechanics I'm using - you can skip the rest of the chapter and move straight on to Chapter 2. 

The stats I'm starting Kaede with, are as follows:  
Intellect - 3  
Psyche - 4  
Physique - 1  
Motorics - 4

For rolls, I'll be using the game's requirements/my discretion and a 2d6 roller. I'll put down if the action was a success or a failure next to the roll.  
For example, "Composure (Success)".

The number of skill points in a skill depends on the attribute. For example, Logic has 3 points due to Intellect being 3, or Endurance being 1 due to Physique being 1.

Perception is a special case. Due to its status as signature skill, it has 5 skill points instead of just 4 from Motorics.

One more thing, rolling double sixes makes a roll succeed a 100% of the time, while a snake eyes make a roll fail 100% of the time. 

How skills are used is..interesting to say the least. They use dialogue in order to convey their interpretation. Skills can argue, and can also discuss what they interpret.

Lastly, feedback and critique are greatly appreciated, whether it be about writing, character or grammar issues. 

That's it for the explanation. Hopefully it didn't bore you too much or scare you away from reading the actual fic. Thanks for reading! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't concern yourself with the *mystery* too much - the main point of Disco Elysium isn't the main plotline.
> 
> Also I keep accidentally pushing this fic up by correcting mistakes...that's awkward.


	2. Raphaël Ambrosius Costeau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't care. I'll face and overcome it. I might be an idiot, but I'm a brave idiot.

Black?

Seems like complete darkness here.

That's because it is.  
You don't have to do anything anymore, never.  
Ever.

What's in here? Who even are you?

This place is empty.  
No ex-boyfriends, nothing.

Wait what was that about the ex-boyfriend?

Ex-love, ex-tenderness. Why did you bring back the loss? After all the damage you did to yourself to forget it...

You just decide to go and remember it again.

Just let me out of here.

You wouldn't like what's out there though.

Inland Empire - Fear and apprehension. You should probably ask what's out there first.

I don't care. I'll face and overcome it. I might be an idiot, but I'm a brave idiot.

Volition - You can do it! You can overcome anything, you're a Champion!  
Inland Empire - Or you could do that. I guess that works too.

I feel my eyes slowly opening. Something slowly waking me up.  
A sound. A clarion call.

I wake up with a splitting headache.  


Rubbing the top of my head, I look around to see a mess of a room. What did I do?

The bed is a huge mess of clothes as well as broken. I could see the wooden frame of where fabric was supposed to be.

"Where...am I?", I mutter to myself.

I search through my head for memories of last night.

Actually, now that I think about it, I can't remember anything from my life!  
Composure - Stay calm. You'll probably get all of it back eventually over time.  
Inland Empire - I hope she doesn't.

I quietly hum Moonlight Sonata's second movement in my head, in order to keep myself calm.

Hold on a second, let's...try to think this through.  
Logic - Think what through? What's there to think through?

Ah...this must be a dream, right? I'll just...pinch myself.  
I pinch my cheek.

Pain Threshold - Ow. That just made both your head AND your cheek hurt. 

I stumble my way into the filthy bathroom, leaning on the wall for better balance.

Perception - A vile stench becomes clear. This smell is absolutely indescribable! They should've sent a poet.  


Slowly, I peer into the mirror in the bathroom.

Perception - The sound of hot, running water.

I look into the fogged mirror, with a familiar shadow in the mirror.

Hair which reaches barely below my shoulders, curved shoulders, an arcing ahoge playfully poking out of my hair…

Who even...*is* this person?  
Conceptualization - An artist, but one that specializes in music.

So...a musician?  
Conceptualization - Yes. A musician.

What instrument did I play?

Inland Empire - One that is related to your motorics ability.

I reach my hand up to wipe the mirror.

Inland Empire - Wait, abort the mission! You have not thought this out, young woman. Before you wipe the mirror. Know that you will never un-become what you see there.

It...can't be so bad...right?

I slowly wipe away the fog on the surface of the mirror.

Blonde hair. Purplish-plum eyes. Pale skin. 

I touched my face. The skin of someone past their teenage years but before their adult years.  
...Wow, I didn't expect to actually look that good after that premonition. 

Perception (Sight) - Though there are still eye bags and the face is slightly bloated from slightly more than excessive drinking.

Inland Empire - You still have no idea who this is though, do you?

Of course I do, it’s...an alcoholic superstar musician? 

Inland Empire - Good.

I slowly walk away, until I look back at the mirror and realise that I am still in my undergarments.

Volition - We should...probably get you some clothes.

Looking into the bathtub, I notice what looks like bottles of wine and beer.

Electro-Chemistry - Well, someone had a fun night! We’ll have to do that again!

What...did I do? I...

Behind the shower curtain, I see an off-white dress shirt, that is *slightly* stained. 

It looks a bit dirty, but it’ll have to do. I quickly put it on and clumsily buttoned up the shirt.

Looking around, I see clothes strewn around the entire room. 

First, an orange tie is attached to the ceiling fan, somehow. 

Inland Empire - You feel as though this necktie is a friend of yours.

A...friend?

I pull on the fan’s switch, but accidentally pull on the light switch instead and feel my eyes burn.  


Pain Threshold - THE PAIN! IT HURTS! TURN IT OFF AT ONCE!

I quickly pull the switch off again, and instead pull on the other chain switch.

The blades squeak as they come to a halt.

I reach for the tie.

Savoir Faire(Success) \- You bring your hands up, get a grip on the tie and...snap!

I put it on, and began looking at the rest of the room.

Looking at the bed, I see a pink sweater with a symbol adorned on it with the numbers 130 slightly above it.

Logic - Perhaps a symbol of a high school? The number could correlate to a class.

Encyclopedia - The symbol is of the Shining Star International High School. So yes. It is the symbol of a high school.

Perception (Sight) (Failed) - Nothing particularly noticeable other than that. 

So like, “Class 130" or something? 

On the ground, I find a purple skirt, with a fairly intricate musical design. Next to it, several musical hair pins. I decide to put them both on.

Perception (Sight) - Further down, a line of drool from where you fell asleep.

How did I even fall asleep on the ground?

Inland Empire - You’ve done a lot of things that are weirder than that in this life. Also, a lot of drinks.

On the left, I find a series of windows, with one standing broken in its frame.

Visual Calculus - Would you like to assess the damage?

Yes, please.

Visual Calculus(Success) - The shards face outwards. Whatever broke this window, came from the inside.

Well, it probably wasn’t me. My hands are probably only strong enough to play the piano!

Visual Calculus - It definitely wasn’t your hands. But you might have caused this in another way.

Visual Calculus - More likely a projectile than an actual held object, as there are no fragments from pulling a tool back in after the impact.  


Reaction Speed - Wait! How would you know if you could play the piano?

I..don’t know. It just felt like I could.

Wait, hold on, what am I even doing right now?  
Visual Calculus - Something you’ve done before.

Can I assess the impact as well?  


Visual Calculus - It’s too large for a bullet, and definitely too small for a piece of furniture. You’re looking for something heavy and definitely larger than your fist.

Something..like a shot put ball?  


Visual Calculus - You see that brown lace-up shoe next to the door? It fits this hole almost as well as your foot. It would have been heavy enough. Especially if thrown with force. Congratulations. You smashed the window with your shoe.

Logic - Which is why there’s only half a pair in the room.

I should..probably go get that shoe, huh?

Who...am I?

Putting on the singular shoe, I notice a plain white backpack placed next to the door.

Inland Empire - You'll probably need that.

I grab it and decide to look through it. 

Perception - You hear the jingling of keys. They’re coming from the backpack.

In one of the side pockets of the backpack, I see a key, labelled 'Room 3 of the Whirling-In-Rags'. 

Logic - They’re the keys to your room.

I mean...yeah. I guess you're not wrong.

I put the backpack on, and get ready to head out. 

I unlock the door and walk out, seeing a somewhat tall woman with thick, bleached pinkish-blonde hair with light blue eyes, leaning over the railing.

Encyclopedia - Junko Enoshima. A popular model in Oranje, constantly described as “not fake” and charismatic. She is also described as slightly hot-tempered. 

Ignoring her, I lock the door behind me and walked to the glass door on my right.

Opening the door, I feel the breeze touch my pale skin.

Perception - The smell of the sea.

Makes me dizzy, for some reason.

The door led to a balcony, leading to the other half of my pair of shoes.

Composure - Two identical shoes, both laced-up and brown, reunited on your feet, where they’re supposed to be!

Do they really fit that well?

Composure - Comfy and balanced. Feels like the only good thing about you right now, honestly.

I calmly walk back into the building, with both shoes on my feet.

“Good morning, officer!” she greets. I give her a simple nod, and start walking down the stairs.  


Logic - Officer? Perhaps you’re a military official?

Probably not. I don’t feel like one, at least. My hands feel like I’m more of a musician, like a violin player or something.

Hand/Eye Coordination - That would explain this guy.  
Conceptualization - This one as well.  
Interfacing - Me three.

I carefully inch my way down the stairs, and into the “Whirling-In-Rags” lobby.

Perception (Hearing) - [Calm and carefree music is playing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9-SgkvM8Mw) from a speaker connected to the jukebox next to the karaoke.

Inland Empire - You should totally sing here, the first chance you get. Your soul NEEDS to be heard through the PA system here.

This totally lends credence to the whole “superstar” theory that I had.

Logic - Well, I guess there’s nothing contradicting that so far…

Inland Empire - You should check your room for tapes later. Maybe a sad song?

I was kind of thinking of a happy song. To cheer the others here up a bit, you know? Get people optimistic and lively to work together.

Inland Empire - No, no, don’t sing a happy song, it’s stupid. Sing a sad one, it’s more “profound”.

Volition - OR, you could look at the corner of the room and notice that there’s a piano there.

Good point. I feel like I would be WAY better at the piano rather than singing. Especially if I had sheet music or something! 

Actually, I feel like I would be completely fine even without sheet music! I could probably play music straight from memory. What we need is something cheerful, like Der Flohwalzer!

Volition - You should..probably avoid that piece.

Inland Empire - That’s stupid. You’re both stupid. Obviously, singing is the way to go.

Noticing I had been staring at the piano for the past minute, I quickly put the thought into the back of my mind.

I waltz over to the counter of the cafeteria, where a man in his late twenties was inspecting a taxidermy of a seabird.

He’s a tall man with dirty, but short blond hair, blue eyes and white-framed glasses.

He looks towards me, and then immediately looks away again.  


Suggestion - He’s shy! He’s totally fallen for you.

Empathy - No. That was disdain in his eyes. He’s purposely ignoring you, but not because he’s shy. Not a fan, probably.

“Not a fan of mine, huh?”, I say, while awkwardly looking away to the right, trying to avoid eye contact.

“Oh no, huge fan of yours.” he says without looking up.

Logic - It’s the massive property damage upstairs.

...I would be pretty angry too.

Reaction Speed - Wait, he called you a cop. So you’re probably a police officer.

I would bring it up, but I should...probably keep talking about my amnesia to a minimum. 

“You’re being sarcastic.”

“Am I? You peasants probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Or did you decide to come in, take the body down, solve the murder and NOT trash the hostel room?” He says frustratedly, raising his fist in anger with his face turning a shade of red.

“I’m guessing I didn't do any of those things?”, I say dejectedly, looking down and gripping my right arm.

“And it’s only taken you three days not to do any of those things. Honestly. People are so barbaric...”

He crosses his arms, and looks away sneering.

“Actually, I already knew that. I just didn't expect it from a member of the RCM.”

The RCM?

Encyclopedia - Revachol Citizen Militia, a police force formed to keep order.

Is that actually all I know about them?

Encyclopedia - Other than that you’re a part of it, yes. You’re just gonna have to talk to someone else about it later.

“Have you seen me around? What have I been doing all that time?”

“I haven’t seen you around. I’m not always here. Even if I was, I couldn’t care less about you peasant folk.”  
He goes back to plucking at the bird.

Perception (Success) \- “I just had to lose that bet against Celeste, huh?”, he mutters.

Perception (Sight) - It looks like the bird was ripped off the shield that it once mounted.

Perception (Sight) - An engraved tag says “The Great Skua”.

Inland Empire - Something about it makes you feel bitter.

Conceptualization - Not a bad Taxidermy though.

I walk away from the counter, and decided to look around for a bit.

On the wall, a wiped menu board, with the word “MONDAY” written on it.

Looking to the left, I notice doors that led to a room, with a sign saying, 'Kitchen reserved for personnel until 13.00'.

Perception (Hearing) - A soft whirr from behind the doors. Someone is working.

Another door, except it looks more of a curtain than anything.

'Mess Hall, reserved for Union members past 16.00'  
Past the curtains, I catch a glimpse of some of the Union posters. People in clown outfits posing...

Down from there, I see a girl who looks like she's barely old enough to be in elementary school, with green hair and eyes. She wears a knee-length black dress, and sits in a wheelchair.

Logic - Likely paralyzed from the waist down.

She notices me.  
“Hello! Monaca is called Monaca! Monaca Towa!” She chirped cheerily. I acknowledge her with a slight nod.

Rhetoric - Don’t say anything though.

Why not?

Rhetoric - Because if you do, you’re going to tell her your name.

Logic - Which you don’t know.  
That would be pretty awkward. Good point.

Next to her, I see a boy who is more around my age, 18 or 19 years old? He’s wearing a black cap with three lined stripes around the back, with a silver star in front of the stripes. 

He’s also wearing a double-breasted black uniform with pinstripes, and black loafers, reading a novel.

Perception (Sight) - Dark blue hair and pale skin. Grey eyes. Feminine eyelashes. Pretty slim.

Perception (Sight) - He’s lightly tapping his foot on the floor, while leaning against a wall and reading a novel. Waiting for someone.

Inland Empire - You.

Encyclopedia - The novel he is reading is from a series of books published between 1920 and 1975. Most of them short stories about the journey of a private investigator/policeman. This man is reading 'Homicide on the train from London to Venice'.

He hears me walking towards him and looks up. Seeing me, he puts away the novel quickly.

“A-ah. You must be the detective from Class 130. I’m Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective from the same class. That’s what they call me...”

Esprit De Corps - You feel like this man would hurl himself into death’s way, just to save you. You are sure of this. But why?

Wait, who is this guy to me?  
Inland Empire - Your half-brother.

Like a rhetorical one? Well...if he's willing to do that, I'm pretty sure he's a nice guy, right?

Also, Ultimate Detective? Wow.

"Woah, you're the Ultimate Detective? That's amazing!"

"Ah..No, I just happened to solve a really difficult case."

Perception - He looks away from you for a second. Blushing a little bit.

"Not many people can just happen to solve a case. You need to be more proud of that!" I objected, pumping both fists in the air.

Rhetoric - He is still waiting for your name.

Inland Empire - This is a good chance! Come up with a name for yourself. Conceptualize one!

Uhhh, sure?

Conceptualization(Failed) \- Raphaël Ambrosius Costeau.  
I mean, it’s not like it sounds BAD, but..isn’t it a bit too..showy?

Inland Empire - It’s not like it's *ostentatious*, it’s CLASSY. Start your life anew as a CLASSIER person.

“Oh, I nearly forgot. My name is Raphaël Ambrosius Costeau. It's nice to meet you!”

“Ah, really? I've never heard such a strange yet interesting name before.” he mutters with his hand placed over his mouth. 

Rhetoric - He, obviously, does not believe you. 

“And what’s your ultimate talent?”

I..don't know. Should I tell him or...

Drama - He doesn’t seem to want to let this one go. Let’s lie!

Logic - Considering your outfit, Ultimate Musician should be good enough.

But lying..isn't exactly my forte. It doesn't feel right too...

Now that we’re talking about that, why IS my outfit like this!?

“I’m...the Ultimate..Musician?”

I say, slightly unsure and sweating. Raising my right hand a bit higher as if I’m explaining something.

“Ultimate..Musician...” He still seems to slightly doubt you, but thinks there’s no reason for you to lie.

“Unfortunately, we ran into some scheduling problems on Saturday and Sunday, which is why it took me so long to arrive here to assist you with the case. Have you talked with the cafeteria manager?” He asks, giving a subtle nod towards the man behind the counter.

“Yes, I just did.”

“If you don’t mind, we should try to talk to him again, get him to give us a run-down of the area and the scene. Have you also mapped out the initial interviews?”

What the hell is an initial interview?

“No, I have not.”

“ It's good you left those out until I arrived. I hear there's some shady people this time. Well, we’ll have time for that after we take a look at the body.”

“Ugh.” I both visibly and audibly gag.

"Ah, are you okay?" He asks urgently.

"Yeah, I just..have a bit of a problem with dead bodies."

“Wait, have you removed the dead body from the tree?”

Uhhh, what?

“..No...”

“S-So..it’s still in the tree...where it has been hanging for an entire week.”

Empathy - He sounds incredibly weary. It’s pretty obvious that he would have preferred for the body to not be in the tree.

“Let’s uh..get going then?”

“Ah, good idea...”

Logic - Wait, wouldn't you have a badge if you’re a police officer?

“Wait, shouldn’t I have a badge or something?”

Perception - Shuichi raises his eyebrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure Kaede was pretty out of character this chapter (what, with the drinking and all that.) Shuichi was as well, so I'll try to write them more "in-character" for the next chapter.
> 
> I'll also try to add in a bit more details to this chapter that may make them seem more like themselves.
> 
> If you find the colors off-putting, please do inform me and I'll try to find an alternative color or something. (maybe even get rid of it entirely, though that might make the skill conversations slightly harder to deal with.)
> 
> There probably won't be a upload schedule (as I tried that with this chapter, but was VERY unhappy with it at the end and I kept editing details in and out.) Even though it is unlikely to be set in stone, it is is incredibly likely that these will be uploaded on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.


	3. Kaede Akamatsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So you’re not just any random peasant. Who could imagine a Hope’s Peak student trashing motels and drinking on the job.”

8:36 AM  
“Your monopad...It’s missing?” He asks, raising both his hands in shock.

Monopad?

Encyclopedia - A digital handbook, used by students of Hope’s Peak Academy. Includes digital records of the rules, Name and Gender of the student, a map, etc.

Hope’s Peak Academy? 

Encyclopedia - A high school in Japan. A government-sanctioned boarding school which scouts students with exceptional talent. Giving them the “Ultimate” title.

Wait, so why are we here instead of studying there? 

Logic - Perhaps a practical exam of your abilities?

Rhetoric - But didn't we agree that our talent lies in music, not murder?

We should ask Shuichi more about this later if we have to. 

Ah, he’s still waiting for my reply. 

“....Yes.” 

“This is a bit of a problem. We have to contact our class later to let them know that your monopad is missing. But first, let’s talk to the Cafeteria Manager.” 

I solemnly nod, and start walking back to the man looking at the bird. 

“Ah, you must be Mr. Togami, yes?” Shuichi asks. 

“Byakuya Togami. Ultimate Affluent Progeny.” The man states, looking away and crossing his arms. 

Encyclopedia - Heir to the Togami Corporation. After it crumbled to the ground due to “The Tragedy”, he rebuilt it from the ground up, and it is once again the largest conglomerate to have ever touched the Earth’s surface.

Wait, what’s he doing in this crappy hostel if he’s a rich guy capable of being labelled 'Ultimate Affluent Progeny' ?  
Logic - He mentioned losing a bet. You might want to ask about that later.

“I’m..Shuichi Saihara. The Ultimate Detective. This is…” 

He looks to me. 

“Raphaël Ambrosius Costeau. Ultimate Musician.” I state matter-of-factly. 

Perception (Sight) - The heir seems a bit surprised for a second. However, his face contorts back into the same sneer. 

”So you’re not just any random peasant. Who could imagine a Hope’s Peak student trashing motels and drinking on the job.” 

Emapthy - He doesn’t seem to bother processing both Shuichi’s and your name. Only your talents. 

Wow, what a jerk. 

“Raphaël...What did you do?” Shuichi asks nervously, raising his right hand slightly. 

I subconsciously grip my right arm. 

“I don’t know, what DID you do, Miss Musician?” Byakuya smirks. 

You know, I kinda wish I knew that myself. 

“Nevermind. Unfortunately, due to some complications, it took us a while to arrive from Hope’s Peak. Furthermore, the body was reported quite late as well. For the record, was it you who placed the call?” Shuichi asks. 

Straight down to business. Guess that’s why he’s the Ultimate Detective. 

“No, I only arrived yesterday. It is likely Celestia called you. I’m only taking over her duties temporarily.” 

Reaction Speed - Same name as the one he muttered about losing that bet. Ask him about it!

“Ah, lost that bet, huh?” I mutter. 

“Look here, Musician. You win a game of poker against the Ultimate Gambler, then you can come back and snark at me all you want.” He growls, his face once again turning a shade of red. 

“Would you happen to have her phone number or some way to contact her?” Shuichi politely asks. 

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Byakuya replies, pulling out a slip of paper and a pen out of his breast pocket of his suit, writes down a number, and hands it to Shuichi. 

Reaction Speed - Make sure to call Celestia later, after you contact your class.

“You mentioned that you only just arrived here yesterday. Are you perhaps, a local?” 

“No, I live in Japan, not even in the Insulindian Isola. I had to fly over to take over Ms. Ludenberg’s duties.” Byakuya replies. 

Shuichi takes out what looks like a small tablet from his breast pocket. 

Logic - A monopad.

Perception - After booting it up, he opens the map section of the handbook, and looks around the area.

He looks up towards me and asks, “I got everything I needed, what about you?” 

Logic - A few questions here and there can’t hurt. 

“I have a few questions, if I could ask them.” 

“Go ahead, Raphaël.” 

“Where exactly is the body, Mr. Togami?” 

“The courtyard behind the building. You can’t miss her unless you’re completely blind. Actually, with your hangover, that’s debatable. They hoisted her up on the tree.” 

“Ah, I nearly forgot. How do we get there? The Monopad doesn’t show a direct route there.” Shuichi inquires. 

“Ah, that part’s insanely easy! Leave through the front door, turn to your right, and you’ll see a huge hole in the fence. Like, massive. You can get to the courtyard through there. No need for any keys. I bet my entire corporation could fit through there.” 

Empathy - His tone makes it sound like he wants you to feel guilty.

Feel guilty for what? 

Inland Empire - For making that hole.

“Why did Ms. Ludenberg leave?” 

“Because someone here decided to do a couple of things that would be pretty frustrating to deal with.” 

“Who do you think killed her?” 

“I don’t know who killed her, cause that’s your job.” 

Reaction Speed - Wait! Earlier, he said “they” hoisted her up on a tree.

“You said “they” hoisted her up on a tree.” 

“Ah. You actually caught that. Maybe you’re not half the terrible cop I thought you were. People are saying it’s the DICE people. That it was a lynching.” 

I smile brightly at my catch. 

DICE?  
Encyclopedia - DICE. A group of pranksters led by Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.

“The group of mischiefs led by the Ultimate Supreme Leader?” 

“Those little brats, yes.” 

“Who exactly are saying that?” 

“The locals. Customers, even Celestia said it was them.” 

“Why would they lynch this woman?” Shuichi asks hesitantly. 

“That’s your job to find out, Ultimate Detective.” 

“That’s all the questions I have.” 

“Let’s go, Ms Costeau.” 

“Wait.” Byakuya says authoritatively. 

Authority - Did this rich brat just tell you to wait? Who does he think he is? Just walk out.

Hold on, I think it’s better we stay. 

He points to me, “You still owe me 13000 yen.” 

13000?! What did I do? 

“What do I owe this place for?” I asked hesitantly. 

“You’ve stayed three nights, coming up to 6000 yen. Then there’s the window you broke..which is 4000 yen, and the bar tab, which is 3000 yen.” 

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi goes into what seems like shock for a moment, but quickly recovers.

“If you don’t have the money, Raphaël, it’s fine. I can cover it.” Shuichi offers generously. 

“Shuichi, no. I have to deal with this myself!” I say confidently. 

“Actually, you know what, because I’m such a nice person, I’ll reduce your tab to 10000 yen. I’ll pay off 3000 of it for you.” Byakuya sneered. 

“Ah...really? Is that okay?” Shuichi replied for me. 

“But if she doesn’t pay that off, she’s not staying in the room upstairs.” He says, looking at the bird once again. 

“Thanks again…” I mutter. 

“Yes, yes, your gratitude means a lot to me.” 

“Detective Raphaël, let’s get going.” 

“Oh, and before I forget, I’ll grab a room here as well.” Shuichi pulled out his wallet and put down 2000 yen on the counter. 

“Wow, look at this! Musician, you might want to pick up some habits from your boyfriend!” 

“Ah!” Shuichi brings his hands up in shock. 

“Sh-She’s not…” 

Suggestion (Success) - Now is the time to strike! Go!

Might as well, right? We can laugh about this later. Sorry, Shuichi. 

“What, do you have a problem with me being your girlfriend, Shuichi?” I say with a greatly exaggerated sadness. 

“I can’t believe you!” I pouted, crossing my arms. 

“N-No, it’s not that! It’s just…” He starts scratching at the side of his cap, looking down.  
Perception - His face turns a bright shade of red.   
Suggestion - Well done! 

“Well, if you two are done with your little lovers’ quarrel, you should get going.” Byakuya hissed.  
Without a word, Shuichi turns his back to the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. 

9 AM 

Shuichi and I pushed open the double doors leading out the inn, and ended up in the streets of what looked like a dump. 

“Oh god, what made those huge cracks in the ground?” I say.  
Logic - Seems like an earthquake?  
Inland Empire - Maybe a sea monster! 

“Ah, there’s a crater over on the other side too. I’m not very sure myself, but it’s likely it was caused by the Revolution - or the Tragedy.” Shuichi replies. 

The Revolution? And the Tragedy?  
Encyclopedia - I have no idea what he’s talking about.

I’ll have to ask about that later. 

Perception(Failed) - You see a coin in between the cracks of the ground.  
So far, I’ve found a whole 50 yen! At this rate, I’ll get my debt paid in no time! 

Inland Empire - You know, they say optimism is a double-edged sword.

On my left, there's a man in white, wearing a checkered scarf sitting on a chair far from the door.

Conceptualization - He’s the definition of ridiculous looking. Donning an afro that was dyed red, as well as a clown mask.

Perception(Sight) - He’s pretty big as well, towering over Shuichi.

“The RCM, in Martinaise of all places? It’s a surprise to be sure. But a welcome one, of course.” He says in a gruff, but kind-sounding voice.  
“What can I help you two with, this bright morning?” 

“You sound pretty surprised that you saw us here.” 

“Yes, because we never see police here. Look around.”  
Perception (Sight) (Success) - He’s not wrong. There’s graffiti basically everywhere with...less than positive things to say about the police, and the traffic behind you is completely unregulated too.

“Who are you?” I inquire.  
“Me? I’m a gardener.” He replies in his gruff voice, patting on a pair of gardening gloves in his lap. 

“Nice to meet you, A Gardener!” I brightly smile.

Shuichi looks at me and shakes his head.  
The Gardener chuckles. 

“W-Well, what are you doing up here?” Shuchi asks.

“I have a greenhouse over there. It’s just…”  
Empathy - He feels discomfort at what he’s about to say. 

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it.” I chimed in.  
“Well...As you probably know, there’s a body there. Hanging from the tree. It smells so bad, that I have to take constant breaks.”

I look to my right, avoiding eye contact.  
“Ah, we’re here to clean it up, sir. You can get to work soon, if everything works out.” Shuichi assures.

He smiles.  
As I turn my back…

Interfacing - You might need those gloves.

For what? 

Interfacing - The autopsy.

Ugh...Don’t remind me. 

Interfacing - Might as well borrow them.

I turn around again.  
“Sorry, sir, but could I borrow your gloves?” 

“Sure, keep them. I have another pair.” He picks them up and hands them to me without visible annoyance. 

“Thanks! I appreciate it!” I answer cheerfully, as I put the pair into my backpack. 

“Anything to help, officers.” 

As we walk away, Shuichi turns his head to a sleek, black Chevrolet.

“There’s a phone in there you can use to contact Hope’s Peak. We should report your Monopad missing as quickly as possible.” 

I open the door, and look in.  
“Oh, and please get the tools in the box in the back of the car.” 

I scoot over into the passenger-side seat.

“Ah, the phone’s in the driver-side seat!”  
Looking to my right, I see he’s correct. Picking up the phone, I boot it up.  
“Hope’s Peak Academy” 

The background showed the entrance to a gigantic diamond-shaped building, with a strange symbol on the top.  
Encyclopedia - The Hope’s Peak Academy building, as well as the insignia.

I quickly go into the contacts app on the phone.  
Wait, who am I supposed to call? 

“Hey..Shuichi? Who am I supposed to call to report my missing monopad?”  
“Just call the class representative.” 

Looking through the list, I finally find a person named “Kaede Akamatsu - Class Representative”.  
As the phone started dialing, I tapped my foot to a rhythm and hummed a tune. 

Shuichi raises his eyebrow, but decides not to comment on it.  
'Contact did not pick up.' 

“Hey, Shuichi, the person didn't pick up.”  


"A-Ah, wait..." 

"Just call Kaito instead. I almost forgot..." 

Interfacing - The person next on the list! Convenient. 

The dialing tone plays again. 

"Hey there, Sidekick! What is it?" 

"Hey there...Mr. Momota." 

"Kaede?" 

Reaction Speed - Kaede Akamatsu. The Class Representative.

Inland Empire - Oh no.

So...my real name is Kaede Akamatsu, and I was the Class Representative of Class 130? 

Voliton - What do you mean you were? You ARE the Class Representative of Class 130. And that’s something to be proud about.

“Yeah? Kaede, you okay? You sound pretty...off…Why are you calling me by my last name anyways?” 

Empathy - It’s genuine worry over your condition.

Do I try to keep my amnesia hidden? 

Inland Empire - YES! DO NOT TELL HIM YOU LOST YOUR MEMORIES.

Volition - You might have to. Don’t hesitate if you have to announce it to him.

“Uh..Kaito, I may or may not have lost my...monopad.” 

“How did you end up doing that? You’re normally so diligent. Hell, remember that one time I lost my monopad and you started looking everywhere to help me find it?” 

Esprit de Corps - You see a flash of a man in a purple jacket, sweating a little at the memory. A brown-haired woman is sitting nearby, in what seems like the cafeteria of a school.

“You were so hardworking back then. Now, you’re a pretty chill person.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” 

“Nothing but, miss. I’ll inform Miss Yukizome. Anything else?” 

Volition - If you want to tell him anything about your amnesia, now’s the time!

Logic - This might take off the problem of being too distracted by “personal problems”. We can focus on the case better if we tell him.

Inland Empire - Shut up! Both of you, just shut up! For all you know, it could make it worse!

“Kaito, who are you talking to?” Another voice in the background calls out. 

“Ah, it’s just Kaede! She wanted to report her lost monopad.” 

“Are you sure that’s Kaede?!” The voice spluttered. 

“Hey, Maki Roll! Don’t…” Kaito’s voice fades out into the background, after what sounds like a short scuffle. 

“Kaede Akamatsu. The Ultimate Pianist, the Class Representative of Class 130, has somehow lost her monopad. Is this a joke?” 

Perception (Hearing) - A female voice on the other end comes through. It sounds..threatening, but somehow comforting and friendly at the same time.

“Uh...no.” 

“Kaede, you need to pull yourself together. You’ve already been sent out for three days, and we’ve gotten zero reports from you. Next thing you’re going to tell me is you haven’t done a field autopsy or gotten the body down yet.” 

“About that…” 

“Oh my god, who’s on the other end of this line? Is this Kaede Akamatsu? What have you done with the real Kaede? Why are you impersonating my best friend? Do you want to die?” 

Rhetoric - That...does not sound like a joke.

Volition - If you reveal your amnesia it could make life a lot easier here.

Inland Empire - DON’T. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. DON’T.

I try to come up with an excuse. 

“Look…I’m not good with dead bodies…” 

“The Kaede I know would just shoot down the body. Even if it was impossible. Because…” 

“THE IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS MAKE IT SO!” Kaito shouts from the background. 

“Yeah, that. Look, Kaede, if you have any problems, you can tell me about it, okay? I’ll ‘solve’ them for you.” She says menacingly, and I can almost feel her glare from the phone, though it’s not directed at me. 

Rhetoric - That..also doesn’t sound like a joke.

“A-Ah! That won’t be necessary!” 

“Is it a guy problem? A stress problem? Is it Makoto? I swear, one day I’m going to stab him.” 

Inland Empire - Oh god.

“I’m...not sure.” 

“What do you mean you’re not sure?” 

“I’m sorry. I just…” 

Inland Empire - Kaede Akamatsu. Stop. Don’t.

“You just what?” 

“I’ve lost my memory.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One decision I couldn't bring myself to make was whether I wanted to make short, but frequent chapters or long, but infrequent chapter releases. Please let me know which you would prefer (if anyone's even reading this.)


	4. The Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We should calm down. For now, we need to start a serious investigation. And the first thing on the list is to get that body down.”

“How...do I even respond to that?” The voice on the other end for the first time in the conversation sounds hesitant.

“Kaede, when you return, I’m going to rip your tongue out.” 

Rhetoric (Failure) \- “No, I swear! I’m not joking!” You insist. 

“How the hell can you be so carefree while you haven’t even started on the investigation? Stop kidding around and get back to work.”

Logic - She doesn’t seem to want to believe you.

Yeah, thanks for telling me, because I didn't know.

Maki’s voice goes slightly quieter. “Kaede here says that she lost her memories.”

“Huh? Yeah, sure. Take it.”

Kaito’s voice enters the speakers of the phone again.

“Kaede, you serious?” He asks worriedly.

Empathy - Just like before, it’s real worry.

“Uh...yes. Sorry I didn't bring it up earlier. I didn't bring it up because I was kind of scared of worrying you guys too much.” 

“I...know how that feels, Kaede. But don’t worry! I believe you! If you have any questions, I can answer them!” 

Reaction Speed - Know how what feels?

“Kaito, what do you mean by you knew how I felt?” 

“I...spoke a bit too much. Forget it.” 

Empathy - Don’t. Keep it in mind until later.

Logic - You should ask him about the girl.  
Inland Empire - Yeah! Ask him questions about the girl. And no one else.

“Kaito, if you don’t mind...I have a few questions.”  
“Huh? Sure, go ahead.” 

Esprit De Corps - You can practically see him bumping his fists together with a goofy smile.

“First off, I have a few questions about me. My name, it’s Kaede Akamatsu, yes?”  
Inland Empire - Please stop. You’re going to make it worse.  
“Yup.” 

“And I’m the Class Representative of Class 130?”  
“Yeah! Basically everyone voted for you. Maybe because the alternative was Kokichi, but I’m sure people would have supported you anyways even if it was someone trustworthy!” 

“Alright, second question. My ultimate talent, is it something like Ultimate Musician?”  
“It’s similar, I guess. Though it’s on a smaller scale. You’re the Ultimate Pianist.” 

Logic - This explains everything! The music references, the outfit!  
Reaction Speed - The girl also labelled you as the Ultimate Pianist earlier, too.

“Makes sense.” 

“Third question, what was I like?” 

“I can’t really put it into words, honestly. You’re kind, but also like, firm and scary sometimes. You have a slight problem with controlling your anger, but you are also really friendly.” 

“Alright, last question about myself.” 

Logic - Ask about the guy the girl mentioned, Makoto.

Volition - Go ahead.  
Inland Empire - Don’t do it.

“Go ahead!” 

“Who is Makoto, and what is he to me?”  
Inland Empire - Fine. Just don’t drink yourself half to death this time.

“Makoto Naegi? He was the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 77. Though he’s the Ultimate Hope now, after the Tragedy or whatever. Why do you ask? I don’t usually see you guys talking or anything, so I would say he’s an acquaintance?” 

So much build up for nothing? 

Inland Empire - You got lucky that you asked the wrong one. Be grateful.

“Alright, who was the other girl that was on the phone just now?” 

“Oh, her? She’s Maki Harukawa, Ultimate Child Caregiver.” 

Drama - His tone suggests that it is a lie, Madame.

“Kaito, why are you lying to me?” 

“See! I told you, Kaito! She’s just messing around!” You hear from the background. 

“Ugh...Kaede, why are you lying to us?”  
Empathy - He feels genuine disappointment that you lied to him.

“Huh?” 

Maki’s voice comes back on.  
“If you lost your memories, how would you know Kaito was lying about my talent?” 

“Wait, what?” 

“Are you actually going to keep playing dumb? Kaede, stop, or else I’ll come down there to Martinaise and go through with the…’removal’ of your tongue.” 

“Eek! I swear, I don’t remember! It’s just...his tone gave it away.” 

“Oh, yeah, sure.”  
Rhetoric - If you didn't notice, that was sarcasm. 

Kaito’s voice booms through the phone again. 

“To make one thing clear, Kaede. I still believe you.” 

Maki's voice authoritatively says, “Now get back on the case, Kaede. You’ve spent too much time dilly-dallying.” 

The call ends. 

Esprit De Corps (Success) \- “Kaito, I don’t think I’ll ever understand how you can put so much belief and trust in others. It’s going to get you killed one day, you know.” A brown haired woman says, placing the phone back into the Astronaut’s hand. 

“I know, I know. But this is Kaede we’re talking about here. She’s always had some crazy ideas, but it’s never ended badly! Sometimes, you have to be a little reckless. This is just another one of her plans.” The man looks away slightly. 

“Yes, but…” 

“Quit grumbling. Don’t you believe in her? She’s been your best friend for the past 2 years, right? Then you can probably show a bit more trust in her!” 

9:45 AM 

Looking outside the front window, I notice it has started raining. 

I quickly climbed out of the car. “Sorry! How long have you been out there standing in the rain? I didn't even notice.” 

“Ah, it’s fine, it barely started a minute ago. Are you done?” 

“No, but I have a feeling that they’re not going to answer any more of my questions.” 

Should I reintroduce myself? I mean...he’s going to keep calling me that dumb name, right? 

Conceptualization - I take offence to that.  
Inland Empire - Hey! It’s not dumb!  
Volition - Just do it.

“Hey, Shuichi? I might have...lied about my name.”  
For what must have been the hundredth time today, I grip my right arm. 

“Speaking of which...Why are you acting so strange, Kaede?”  
Logic - Seems he already knew.

“You knew?! Why didn't you say anything?” 

“I-I don’t know. It just felt wrong to pry.” Shuichi pulls his cap down. 

“Ah, sorry for snapping at you, it’s just so much was going on, that I kind of blanked out…In fact, I...still can’t remember a single thing besides my name and talent right now.” 

“How...did that happen?”  
He puts his hand over his mouth. 

“You might want to contact the school nurse. It might be a psychological problem, but we should make sure that you are still able to work on the case.” 

“No, I should still be able to work on it, but it’s just...slightly worrying.” 

“Oh, and could you give me a briefing on the case? I don’t think I could work without any...information?” I request, raising my right arm a little, slightly embarrassed. 

“I can try, sure." He nods.

"Three days ago, the RCM Emergencies Desk received an anonymous call that there was a dead body hung behind the Whirling-In-Rags in Martinaise. Of course, with the RCM busy as they are with Jamrock, they brought in Hope’s Peak to bring in some of their Ultimate Students to help with this case. We are those Ultimates, and we are to solve this case.” 

“Wait, they bring Hope’s Peak students into police work?” 

“Sometimes. It’s not that often, but at least once a month someone is sent off to go help the police. Though it's usually nothing dangerous, just regular patrols or investigations. This is the first time they’re trusting us without a police officer, and we’re on our own to solve this one.” 

“Anyway, the body stayed there for four days, and no-one had come to investigate. This resulted in the victim being stripped of her belongings." 

Inland Empire - Because you were too busy feeling bad about yourself rather than the actual case.

"This area is also affected by a labor dispute currently, and we are told to take that into account when we investigate the murder." 

“Why didn't we know anything about the caller?” 

“They didn't identify themselves at all, and their tone was muffled.” 

“Why would they decide to hide themselves anyways? Seems awful suspicious to me.” 

“Currently, there’s a pretty strong prejudice against the police’s involvement in Martinaise, as the group known as ‘DICE’, which act as the workers' union here are already known as the de-facto police in the neighborhood." 

“And..they were the ones that killed him?” 

“Yes, or at least that’s what we think right now.” 

“Shuichi, would you call this a ‘mysterious’ case?”” 

“No, not really, why?” 

“The deceased was involved in the labour dispute. Therefore, it is likely that he was killed by the opposing side. It sounds incredibly straightforward.” 

Inland Empire - You should convince Shuichi that there’s a sexy, dark and mysterious twist behind the case!

I’m not sure where this can go, but if it’ll help with the case... 

Inland Empire (Success) \- What if…*you* did it?

That...sounds pretty impossible. 

Inland Empire - Yes, you killed her, and then, as part of the plan, you drink yourself to the point where you can’t remember.

Empathy - Maybe this is why your chest feels completely hollow. You did something terrible, and couldn’t bring yourself to acknowledge it.

“Shuichi, what if I did it?” I ask, slightly sweating. 

“What? No, that’s impossible!” Shuichi’s hands are once again brought up in shock. 

See? He agrees. 

"I killed the woman, and then started drinking to try to trick myself into forgetting about it.” I explained, placing my right hand forward. 

“Ah, but what leads you to believe this theory? I mean…I guess you’ve never actually went out drinking until this week...” Shuichi places his index finger under his chin, sweating as well. 

Reaction Speed - How does he know that? 

“My chest feels completely hollow, Shuichi.” 

“Kaede, that’s normal after a heavy night of drinking. It’ll pass sooner or later.” 

“Besides...I doubt you could have taken down this woman by yourself single-handedly…” 

Empathy - He really, really hopes this isn’t the truth.  
Esprit De Corps - You feel like he really hopes to never even find the truth.

Why? 

Esprit De Corps - So he doesn’t have to arrest the murderer.

“We should calm down. For now, we need to start a serious investigation. And the first thing on the list is to get that body down.” 

10 AM 

I walk North of the Chevrolet, and see what seems like a broken fence. 

Perception - You see a set of tyre tracks in the ground, covering the plaza mosaic.

What kind of vehicle drove through here? 

Perception - It’s hard to tell, especially with your hangover. 

Visual Calculus - Reconstruct the movement?

Sure. 

Visual Calculus (Failed) \- No, these tracks aren’t interesting at all. Just let the street sweeper sweep them away.

That’s the first sign that tells me these are important though. 

Logic - This isn’t case related.

Then why am I looking at this? 

Perception - Habit. You look at everything.

I walk through the broken fence. 

Perception - Smells like rotten meat and curdled dairy. A human being decomposes. 

Ugh…. 

Looking up on the tree, I see the hanged woman’s body.  
Perception - Hung with a belt.

Shuichi’s eyes widen at the sight.  
He slightly clenches his heart with his right hand, but breathes out and opens his eyes again. 

Calm...just...don’t look.  
Hum a tune from Beethoven’s Fur Elise or something...  
Composure (Success) - You slowly open your eyes, and manage to look without throwing up. 

To my left, I see a short man with black eyes and rosy cheeks.  
Visual Calculus - Roughly 1.1m tall.

Wow. That’s...pretty short. 

He’s wearing a black hat with a picture of blue tennis rackets, and a black leather jacket.  
He’s also wearing a jumpsuit underneath, with a metal cuff attached to his left leg. 

He’s leaning against the wall. Seeing us approach, he gives a slight wave. 

“Ryoma, what are you doing here?” Shuichi asks, gripping on his cap. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, I feel like the quality of these updates are dropping pretty quickly.


	5. Ryoma and Hiyoko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Kaede, what are you planning on finding in there?" Shuichi asks nervously, a bead of sweat dropping down his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, me being the dumb I am, I forgot to change the gender of the person who died. Pointing out that it's a Hanged Woman, not a Hanged Man.

“What’s up?” The man pulls down his hat over his eyes. His voice is surprisingly deep, especially considering his looks.

Perception(Sight) (Failed) \- Wait, where did his cigar go? 

Perception - That’s...weird. That’s never…

What?

Perception - It...it just disappeared. Like, if he was a picture, and you just swapped him with another one…

Huh?

Perception - I...I don’t know. Give me a few moments to calm down and check back.

Composure - Just give him a minute. You can ask the man about it if you’re curious.

A short man, he has rosy cheeks and black eyes.

Perception(Sight) - He has red hair under his hat.

Encyclopedia - Very likely Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Pro, who is also from Class 130. Also known as the Ultimate Prisoner, he took down an entire mafia organization by himself, using a custom-made steel tennis ball and hitting them all in the head.

HE TOOK DOWN AN ENTIRE MAFIA BY HIMSELF?!

Encyclopedia - Yes. At least according to newspapers.

What the hell?!

Logic - You might want to ask for his name, just in case.

"Kaede and I are here to investigate a case right now. Would it be fine if we asked you a few questions?”

“Tch...You guys should know it’s dangerous to walk up to a killer like me. Go ahead. Do whatever you want. I don’t think I have the answers you want anyway.” 

The man puts his hands into the pockets of his trenchcoat, looking towards the body.

Composure - He’s not even trying to stay calm near the body. It’s just how he is.

Suggestion - Ask for his name, but don’t make it obvious that you don’t know him.

Yeah, it does seem like I’m supposed to know this person, huh?

“For the record, what is your name?” I ask.

“The empty shell of Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Pro.” 

The cigar...it came back?

Perception - I...have no idea how he’s doing that.

Savoir Faire(Success) - I might have an idea.

What is it?

Savoir Faire - I don’t think I’ve seen this way of using it before, but it might be the Shukuchi method.

Huh?

Savoir Faire - Basically, a technique used to reduce the distance between opponents.

But how does that make his cigar disappear?

Savoir Faire - He might be using it in a...different way.

So he’s like, closing the distance between the cigar and his pocket? 

Savoir Faire - Maybe? It’s just a theory.

“Ryoma…” Shuichi mutters, looking down.

Empathy - His voice is stained with disappointment and sadness.

“I know. I said I would like to bear the stain of tennis again. But right now, I’m still the Ultimate Prisoner.” 

“When will you be let out?” Shuichi asks hopefully.

“I don't know. I lost track. A few years?” 

“Don’t worry, Shuichi. I wouldn’t do something as uncool as breaking a promise. Once I get out, I’ll pick everything up again.” Ryoma grins, and gives a thumbs up with his right hand.

Shuichi closes his eyes, and smiles.  
“Yeah...That sounds nice.”

“We should get back on topic.”  
Shuichi mutters under his breath.

“Ryoma, what are you doing here?” Shuichi asks again.

Ryoma looks up.

“I don’t know. Ask her.”

“Who?”

A blonde girl’s head pops up from above the fence.

“Aww...I wanted to listen a bit more…”

She has a traditional pink kimono on, with a red sash. Her hair’s held up with a cute red bow.

Visual Calculus - About 1.7m tall? Seems around the same height as you.

She seems pretty nice, doesn’t she?  
Perception - She seems slightly older than you. Around the age of the cafeteria manager, but about...one year older, give or take.

“Who are you?” Shuichi inquires.  
“I’m Hiyoko Saionji, the Ultimate Traditional Dancer of Class 77-B.”

“Don’t let your eyes deceive you. This girl is...malicious, to say the least.”

“That’s so rude, Uncle Ryoma!” Hiyoko starts spilling out crocodile tears.

“My god, how many times will we be driven off topic today?” Shuichi murmurs to himself.

“Alright, can we get back to why Ryoma is here?” I request bashfully.

“Shut up, you trashy pigshit!”

Wow. Okay. I literally just met you like, 5 minutes ago and you’ve already called me a “pigshit”.

Guess Ryoma was right.

Conceptualization - I’m quite interested in how she came up with THAT insult.

“Hey! What’s your problem?”

“H-hey, calm down. Sorry, but you really shouldn’t really talk to Kaede like tha-”

“Huh? But I’m just telling her what she is. I’m sorry I offended your girlfriend, but she has to accept what she is!” Hiyoko smiles widely, while raising both her hands up.

This sounds familiar.

Suggestion (Failed) \- You feel a blush coming onto your cheeks, you look down. 

Shuichi pulls down his cap.  
Wait, now’s not the time for this!

“Wait, are you a pervert? You’re wearing a really shady cap there.” Hiyoko teases.

Empathy (Success) - Anger starts boiling in Shuichi’s eyes, which he immediately hides with his cap.

Authority (Failed) - Come to his defense at once! Assert yourself!

“Why does he need a reason to wear a cap? Leave him alone!” I shout back.

“K-Kaede!” Shuichi’s voice is urgent.

Perception(Hearing) (Success) \- “So you do have a bit of backbone after all…” she mutters to herself. 

“Sorry about that, I didn't mean a word of it!” She hits her forehead with her right hand, with her tongue sticking out in a manner to seem cute.

Suggestion - Don’t talk about the previous conversation. Go straight to questions.

“Fine, but at least answer our questions this time.”

“Sure!”

“Alright, first, why did you drag Ryoma out here?”

“Cause I was bored.”

What?

“So...you dragged him here...because you were bored?” Shuichi hesitantly asks.

“Well, not exactly. I was lonely. Big Sis is out on a photography trip or something, and Big Bro’s no longer himself. So I wanted a new friend!”

…

“You heard her.” Ryoma says matter-of-factly.

“Well, it wasn’t that hard! I just got that ugly bitch to distract the guards for a bit!”

How does she keep that smile up while saying such things?

Composure - High amounts of this.  
Drama - Us too!

Or maybe she’s just a bad person.

“Why are you here?”

“Heard there was a case Hope’s Peak students were sent to investigate. I decided to see what the new Ultimates were like.”

“Wait, if you don’t know who the new Ultimates were, why did you break Ryoma out of jail?”

“He seemed cool.”

“To be fair, she didn't break me out of jail. Right now, it’s my temporary release to collect my items.” 

“So you live here?”

“No, I’m just waiting for my flight to Japan.”

Empathy - His voice seems hopeful. He’s looking forward to seeing something.

“Last question, did you guys see anything related to that?” I point to the body.

“Nope!” 

“Well, I’m done here then. Shuichi?”

Shuichi scrolls through his Monopad again, and looks up.

“Ah, I’m done too. Let’s get going, then.”

“Wait.” 

“Hmm?” I turn around.

“Kaede. You okay?”

Drama (Success) - No. You’re not okay, but, you can say you are!

“Yes, Ryoma. I’m fine. Thanks for worrying about me, but what is it?” I give a bright smile, and place my hand over my tie.

"...Kaede, you've still got a ways to go."  
Drama - He saw past our guise?! Madame, this is a Code 31 Emergency!  


Ryoma turns his back. "Tch. After all that talk about working together...If that was a lie too, I'll have nothing to believe in. See you guys later." Ryoma starts walking out of the courtyard.  
"Ah, wait, Uncle Ryoma!"  
Hiyoko runs the opposite direction, heading towards the fence at the entrance of the courtyard and starts following Ryoma. 

Shuichi looks at me worriedly, but decides not to mention anything. 

Looking to the left of where Ryoma once leaned, I see a trash container with a large “R” on the side.

Inland Empire - Something’s in there. It’s not necessarily connected to the case, but still…

On the right, I see the body again, hung on a branch of the tree.

The tree itself has a kids’ ladder on it, which looks rickety, but climable.

Logic - Won’t hold the weight of you or Shuichi.

Further right, I see a greenhouse.

Perception (Smell) - Herbs.

Looking back at the body…

Perception (Sight) - Wait…

Perception (Sight) (Success) - There are footprints in the mud here, left by some...strange looking shoes. Anywhere from 6 to 12 pairs have walked here.

What kind of shoes?

Perception (Sight) - I can’t really describe it. They look like worker’s boots, but...

Visual Calculus - Looks like something a clown would wear?

“Hey, Shuichi, those tracks...do they look strange to you?”

“Ah, wait a minute...Now that you mention it...yes.” Shuichi looks slightly puzzled, once again placing a finger under his chin.

Visual Calculus - Get an exact count of the boots here?

If we can do it.

Visual Calculus (Success) - Maybe more than 12? No. Wait. Eight pairs. They’ve just shuffled back and forth.

Can we go over them?

Visual Calculus - First, size number 46.

Visual Calculus - Second, size number 44.

Visual Calculus - Third, size number 43.

Visual Calculus - Fourth, size number...45 or 46?

Wait, what? Which is it?

Visual Calculus - You don’t know. It’s a miracle you could even tell the prints apart. The cold preserved them.

Visual Calculus - Fifth, another size number 44.

Visual Calculus - Sixth, an aberration. Incredibly light. Even pace. Size number 41. The print is slightly different.

Can we tell if it’s male or female?

Visual Calculus - Nope. Could have been an adolescent, as the gait is undeveloped.

Wow, how do I do this?

Visual Calculus - The world darkens, everything else becomes unimportant, and the tracks start burning.

...Okay.

Visual Calculus - Seventh, size number 46. These imprints however, are twice as deep. Their weight exceeds 200 kilograms.

Visual Calculus - Eighth, size number 44. But…

But?

Visual Calculus - This one has an aberration too. The right sole is smoother, and more worn than the left shoe.

“Kaede, what are you doing?”

“I’m counting the footprints.”

“Ah, really? How many are you seeing?”

“...Exactly eight pairs.”

“I was pretty off. I counted 12.”

“It’s fine, Shuichi. The same guys are just going back and forth, giving off an illusion.”

“...Do you see anything out of the ordinary here, Kaede? You’ve been looking at them for a while.”

I point to the sixth pair.

“Light step. Size number 41.”

“Ah, could it possibly be a woman, or an adolescent?”

“Could be either. There’s no way to be sure. The gait is undeveloped though, suggesting it is an adolescent?”

“Hmmm....” Shuichi puts his hand over his mouth.

I point to the seventh pair.

“Deep imprints. Around 200 kilograms? Quite heavy.”

“200...Could it be the combined weight of two people?”

Visual Calculus - He might be right. 200 kilos of *living* weight is unlikely.

“Maybe one of them was carrying him over?”

“That was what I was thinking too…Anything else, Kaede?”

I point to the eighth pair.

“This one’s strange. One sole is smoother than the other, for some strange reason…Any ideas, Shuichi?”

“Someone operating a workbench, a drummer, it could be anything or anyone.”

“Shuichi...a drummer?”

“...” Shuichi grips on his cap.

“Ah, perhaps a driver?” Shuichi suggests, raising his right hand.

“That’s actually quite possible.”

An awkward silence follows.

“Kaede, how old do you think these tracks are?”

Visual Calculus - A week is the most likely case.

Why?

Visual Calculus - Because it’s the only answer that explains these tracks.

“Maybe a week old?”

“Seven days would fit the time frame…Last week’s forecast for the coast of Revachol was below freezing. The day before the hanging was reported was the last warm day.”

Logic - Therefore, the commotion here *could* have taken place a week ago, as the sub-zero temperatures would preserve the tracks in a good state.

“Shuichi, what do you think happened here?”

“My best working theory right now…” Shuichi pulls out his Monopad.

Perception (Sight) - He opens up the Truth Bullets tab on his Monopad.

“A mob of people, likely the corporation known as ‘DICE’ carried the victim and hoisted him up on the tree with a cargo belt.”

Visual Calculus - They all stood in a row here, and looked at the tree.

“I think you’re right...you can see a row of footprints here that faces towards the tree.”

“Ah, I didn't even catch that. Good job, Kaede.” Shuichi smiles.

Empathy - All the pieces fit together. He feels satisfied with this answer.

Trying to avoid the body, I look towards the trash container.

I walk towards it and attempt to open the container...

“Locked.”

“Kaede, what are you planning on finding in there?” Shuichi asks nervously, a bead of sweat dropping down his neck.

“I dunno. I just had a hunch.”

“Well, we could open it with the prybar…or….”

“Or, Shuichi?”

“Or we could get the key from Togami.”

“Ugh...I don’t think I’m strong enough.”

“Ah, me neither...”

“So...We need to go back and talk to him...”

11:00 AM

As we walk into the Whirling-In-Rags once again, we approach the counter.

“Oh god, it’s you two again.” Byakuya doesn’t even try to hide his disdain anymore.

“Ah, Mr. Togami, would you happen to have keys to the trash container in the courtyard?” Shuichi politely asks.

“The RCM digging through trash containers. We truly have hit peak human degeneracy.” Byakuya looks away.

I’ve had enough of this jerk’s attitude.

“Look, I get you’re a rich guy and all, but do you really have to do this every time we come in?”

“Yes, I do. Because you are an absolute disgrace for a human being. Regardless of how normal someone is, they can never, ever stoop down to how low you have gone.”

Authority (Failed) - This man dares?!

“Listen here you-”

“Kaede, calm down!” Shuichi’s voice echoes through your head.

Composure (Success) - Just...keep your poker face.

I sigh.

“Just give us the keys.”

Byakuya throws a key to towards Shuichi.

Shuichi...drops it after fumbling with it trying to catch it in mid air.

Can this guy be any bigger of a dick? Like, seriously, don’t think I’ve seen a bigger one ever.

Inland Empire - Correction, you can’t REMEMBER seeing a bigger one ever.

11:15 AM

“It’s not raining anymore.” Shuichi says, while we walk out the door.

“Alright, let’s go open that trash container, Shuichi!”

As we walk towards the courtyard, I gave a slight wave to the person who passed me the gloves.

My eyes glance over the tyre tracks again.

Reconstruct the movement.

Visual Calculus (Success) - The tyre tracks were left here a few days ago. It’s a message, written in the language of burnt rubber.

Visual Calculus - Some of the rubber stuck to the tiles right in front of the Whirling-in-Rags. This is where the driver started…

Visual Calculus - Then, the driver accelerated straight through the fence, leaving a hole big enough for ‘the entire Togami Corporation’.

Interfacing - You don’t even know why you stopped here. You wouldn’t drive as recklessly as this, and you don’t have a car either.

We’ll find out sooner or later.

Visual Calculus - The driver proceeded back out of the yard, and stopped barely before hitting the adjacent building. They then started heading south.

“Hey, Shuichi, a car drove through the fence here.”

Shuichi looks at the fence for a second.

“You’re right. You think this is connected to the case?”

“It's possible.”

“Let’s keep them separate for now.”

We continued walking to the trash container.

As I unlock the padlock with a key, I begin to raise the lid-

Inland Empire - Don’t! Maybe you shouldn’t…  
“Maybe we shouldn’t check this quite yet…”

“Any reason why, Kaede?”

“Not...particularly.”

I can’t let him know I’m talking to myself in my head, can I?

“I think we should open it then.”  
Shuichi slowly opens the lid…

Perception (Smell) - Oh god, the smell is terrible! Rotten food…  
Perception (Sight) - Soggy cartons, rags and organic waste. 

“Urgh...It’s disgusting…” I try to stop myself from throwing up.

Shuichi is holding his nose.

“This hasn’t been emptied in over a week…” Shuichi mumbles.

I pick at the rags…

Perception (Sight) - A black skirt?

Perception (Smell) - The victim’s clothes? The smell isn’t as bad as the body at all. These have not been in contact with the body for more than 2 days since her death.

Shuichi pulls out a black plastic bag, labelled “Evidence”.

“Kaede, drop anything you find in here.”

I bag the skirt, and quickly go back to looking in the container.

Perception (Sight) - You see a white dress shirt, with a black ribbon.

“A Hope’s Peak Academy uniform?” Shuichi mumbles.

I place the shirt into the black bag.

Perception (Sight) The rest of the rags are just garbage.

“What are the victim’s clothes doing here?”

“We should ask Byakuya. The container was locked, so he should know who has keys to this container.”

“You think someone in the Whirling-In-Rags was...involved?”

“Not necessarily, but it is a valid theory. We should check on it to see if it leads to anything.”

“Alright! Let’s keep going!” I pump both my fists.

Shuichi chuckles.

I start to search through the food waste.

Inland Empire - Nothing here. There’s nothing. Nothing more to see here.

“What...is that?”

A black tablet...sticking out the apple peels.

Logic - A Monopad.

“Kaede, what did you find?”

I pull out the Monopad from the trash container.

“I found my Monopad! I think…”

As I turn it on, the name “Kaede Akamatsu” pops up.

Shuichi breathes a sigh of relief.

“Ah, actually, Kaede, how did your Monopad of all things end up in the trash…?” Shuichi asks nervously.

“I- I don’t know. Maybe someone from the Whirling-In-Rags threw it in the trash?”

Shuichi doesn’t seem convinced by the answer, but lets it slide.

“You should take some notes on the case. You need to put in some truth bullets into your Monopad. Do you see anything else in there?”

Perception (Sight) - Nothing else, it seems.

“We’re done here.”

The container gives off a muffled *gong*.


	6. The Monopad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How about...The Hanged Woman?” I suggest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated solely to the functions of the Monopad, which is why it's so short. Either way, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

I look through the respective menus of the Monopad.

Inland Empire - The messenger. Don’t look into it.

Map - “Review the layout of your location.”

As I look at the map, I zoom out.

Right now, we’re located at the Martinaise Waterfront, the coastal area of Revachol.

North-west, there’s a small islet with abandoned buildings that aren’t labelled at all.

West of here, there’s the church, along with the abandoned boardwalk and buildings.

South of the Church, are the Fishermen Shacks.

“Hey, Shuichi? How far will this investigation take us, you think?”

“Ah, I believe we should be fine if we stay in the coastal area. It’s the most likely place we’ll find clues, though we may have to visit the other areas.”

Tapping on the back button, I look through the rest of the icons.

Items - “Review your personal belongings that you have on you.”

Sure. Why not.

114\. Prybar - A red-tipped prybar which has “Carsson T, Heavy Duty” engraved on it. Quite heavy.

Physical Instrument - Should be useful for opening locked doors and containers.

117\. Flashlight - A torch that is circle-shaped and green.

Perception (Sight) - Should be useful around dark areas.

121\. Chaincutters - A pair of chaincutters made in Gottwald by Waalshirm Werkzeuge.

I...do not know who or where that is, but okay.

126\. Yellow Gardening Gloves - Latex gardening gloves.

Interfacing - For the autopsy later.

Report Card - “Review the report cards of students in your class and others you’ve met.”

Scrolling through I see profiles of several people.

Though I only recognize three of the profiles from my class, one from Class 77-B, and two from Class 78.

Seriously...K1-B0, Ultimate Robot? I would definitely remember someone...or in this case I guess...something, if I met it.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - Hey! That’s robophobic!  
What? 

Messenger - “Send and read messages to and fro with other Monopad users!”

The icon seems to convey this perfectly, as a text bubble.

Inland Empire - The messenger. Don’t look into it.

I tap on the icon.

Dozens of messages pop up. Reading the messages at the top, I find I was actually quite likable and popular, apparently.

Inland Empire - ...I guess this much won’t kill you.

3 November

5:30 PM - Makoto: Kaede, would you happen to be free after school tomorrow?

5:32 PM - Kaede: Yeah! Kaito and Maki are going on a date or something, so we can’t really have a girl outing tomorrow. Why, you wanna hang out?

5:34 PM - Makoto: Yeah, if it’s okay with you. Can we meet at the cafeteria tomorrow after school?

4 November

10:52 PM - Kaede: MAKIIIIIIIII PLS HELP

10:52 PM - Maki: Did you have to wake me up at 11 PM for your nonsense? Do you want to die?

10:53 PM - Kaede: NO

10:53 PM - Maki: Then let me go to sleep. We have a test on Tuesday, also known as TOMORROW.

10:53 PM - Kaede: WAIT THIS IS SERIOUSSSSS MAKIIII

5 November

3:03 PM - Kaito: Kaede, you wanna hang out tomorrow? If you do, I can introduce you to my sidekick I’ve been telling you about!

3:46 PM - Kaede: Sorry, but my schedule’s filled for the rest of this week, I think. You can introduce him to me on another time!

Messages like these come and go, until 23 November.

23 November

7:12 PM - Sayaka: Hey, Kaede, you’re going to Martinaise to investigate a case or something, next Saturday, right? We should meet up after you’re done with that! I’ve been stuck here for the past week for rehearsals for an upcoming concert, and it’s been a while since we hung out! We can talk about music and stuff, right?

7:32 PM - Kaede: Sure! Sounds like fun. It’s been awhile since we had a girl’s night out, too!

27 November

10:50 PM - Kaede: MAKI

10:51 PM - Maki: Don’t you have a case tomorrow in Revachol? You should go to sleep. The flight there is like, 6 hours but you also have to sit in a car for like, 10 hours straight.

10:51 PM - Kaede: YEAH BUT THIS IS WAYYYYYYYYYYYY MORE IMPORTANT

10:52 PM - Maki: God...what is it?

10:52 PM - Kaede: Rate Makoto from Class 78 on a scale of 1 to 10

10:53 PM - Maki: I’m going to sleep. Good luck with your investigation.

10:54 PM - Kaede: WAIT NO

28 November

12:04 PM - Sayaka - I’ll see you later, Kaede!

1 December

8:07 PM - Maki: Kaede, we’ll need your report in Deadly Life soon.

3 December

6:32 AM - Maki: So you’re not reading my messages...great.

…

I was...pretty weird, huh?  
Volition - Yup. The sunshine in everyone’s lives.

That’s strange...why would I drink myself half to death if I was so optimistic?  
Empathy - The hollowness in your heart. 

I’m also pretty curious about this Makoto guy.  
Inland Empire - Don’t be.

It doesn’t sound like I’ve met Shuichi before either…  
Logic - Focus on the case. We’ll get through your personal affairs later.

I tap on the back button once more.

I scroll to the next icon, which looks like a black and white bear.

Deadly Life - “A list of cases you or your peers have solved or are currently solving.”

Uh...What’s in *there*?

I tap on the icon.

Arson...Petty theft, spousal abuse...Everything's here. Even infidelity cases have been investigated.

All the cases have a different name, with a case number written on the margins. And under that, a person’s full name.

Conceptualization - Some might say a title, one that draws inspiration from snoop fiction and cop drama staples.

They’re all written in capital letters too…

“THE MURAL OF THE NEXT WORLD”  
\- K1-B0

“THE MURDER OF AN IMPOSTER”  
\- Shuichi Saihara

“THE UNSOLVABLE CASE”  
\- Maki Harukawa

Tons more, too. Some even with my name.

“THE THEFT OF THE NECRONOMICON”  
\- Kaede Akamatsu

“THE APPEARANCE OF THE DESPAIR DISEASE”  
\- Kaede Akamatsu

Murder isn’t very prominent, surprisingly. Most are thefts or other petty crimes. From vandalism to even larceny, there are a ton of different crimes here.

There’s even some straight up mysteries instead of just crimes.

Though I can’t find this current case...

“Hey Shuichi, do we have a name for this case?”

“Ah, no. In fact, we haven’t even written any text for the case yet. Any ideas, Kaede?” 

That’s...kind of my fault, isn’t it?

Inland Empire - Yes.

Volition - To a certain extent.

“How about...The Hanged Woman?” I suggest.

Shuichi nods, and takes out his Monopad from his breast pocket.  
“We’ll keep that as our case name for now.” 

“Wait, Shuichi, whose name are we putting under this case? Cause all the others have one...what about ours?”

“Ah, I suppose we should put both our names down…”

“But all the other cases have one name…”

“Kaede, this is the first case they’ve sent two Hope’s Peak students, remember? Instead of just one student and an RCM officer.”

Logic - That...makes sense.

“THE HANGED WOMAN”  
\- Kaede Akamatsu & Shuichi Saihara

Scrolling to the next icon, I see what looks like a bullet.

Truth Bullets - “Review evidence and witness accounts you’ve made a record of.”

There’s...no add button. How do I make a record with this thing?

“Shuichi, how do you…’create’ truth bullets?”

“Huh? Why? You don't have to worry about it, it automatically stores important information .”

“So...you’re telling me…”

“There is no way, yes.”

But...I have nothing in here! 

Interfacing - There IS a way.

How?

Interfacing - We can tinker around.

I...don’t think that’s a very good idea.

Interfacing - Come on! There’s a reason you’re the Ultimate Pianist, you know?

What about no? I don’t want to break this after I just got it back.

Interfacing - Fine, be that way.

Deciding to move on to the last feature instead of dwelling on this for too long, I tap the back button.

Journal - “Tracking your tasks.”

The icon was a fairly boring notebook, with a pencil lazily placed on the side.

Tapping on it, I see a list come up, letter by letter.

Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.

Who’s that?

“Shuichi, do we know a Taeko Yasuhiro?”

“Not that I know of. Who is it?”

“Apparently, the Cafeteria Manager.”

"Wait, then who's Celestia?" I murmur to myself. 

“We’ll ask her later. We still have her number, after all.” Shuichi suggests.

“Yeah, thank god you got it for us!” I smile brightly.

Shuichi looks away.

Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.

Urgh…..

Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.

Find out who made the call to the RCM.

Find out the identity of the woman killed.

Find out who killed the woman.

Name the case.

Type up a summary of the case.

As I cross out the completed tasks, I let a grin come to my face. A wave of satisfaction washes over me, as I cross out the tasks while internally shouting “You’re done! And you’re done! You too!”

Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.

Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.

<strike>Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.</strike>

<strike>Find out who made the call to the RCM.</strike>

Find out the identity of the woman killed.

Find out who killed the woman.

<strike>Name the case.</strike>

Type up a summary of the case.

Shuichi notices my grin, and looks over my shoulder.

“Ah, I haven’t checked my Journal either. I should work on that right now.”

He starts tapping on the scree of his Monopad.

“Ah, we didn't think of a way to get the body down...did we?” Shuichi mumbles, as he puts away his Monopad into his breast pocket once again.


	7. The Body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hope.” The girl whispers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing that I just realized, is rolling double sixes is a 100% success rate, while rolling snake eyes is a 100% fail rate. Of course, this will be incorporated into my rolls from now on.

11:46 AM

Scrolling through the Report Card menu, I finally find Celestia Ludenberg.

Does she wear that gothic lolita outfit every day? I can only imagine the pain trying to put that on. 

It looks kind of ridiculous, but hey! I don’t judge. It looks good. Gives off a...sexy aura? I guess?

Rhetoric - Says the woman wearing musical hairpins and dark purple stockings.  
That’s different! 

Suggestion - The latter part also makes you sound like a creepy old pervert.

“Hey, Shuichi, Celestia’s from Class 78 as well. The Ultimate Gambler.”

Reaction Speed - Wait! The Ultimate Gambler of Class 78 isn’t Celestia…

Logic - It’s Taeko Yasuhiro.

Which means…

Logic - It is very likely that one of the names is an alias, yes.

Shuichi seems to catch on as well, murmuring something with his hand over his mouth.

Perception (Hearing) (Success) \- “Celestia Ludenberg of Class 78, Ultimate Gambler...Taeko Yasuhiro, Ultimate Gambler of Class 78…” 

“Shuichi, it’s likely that Celestia Ludenberg and Taeko Yasuhiro are one and the same.”

“Ah, I agree. We’ll check with her later.”

Logic - Well, we’ve run out of things to investigate around here.

Composure - Prepare yourself.

“We should get that body down now, huh?” I murmur hesitantly.

We walk towards the tree, and I look up to the body. 

Long blonde hair and blush marks on both cheeks are the only things notable about her.

Inland Empire - You. In another life.

She has been stripped of her clothing, other than her cutesy pink undergarments.

Wait, what about…

Perception - Shuichi is holding his cap and looking down.

Ah, alright. Was a bit worried Hiyoko was right on the mark.

“Kaede, are you alright?” He looks to me, with a worried look in his eyes.

Oh. My legs are...wobbling…

Volition - No! Don’t let it overwhelm you!

…

Composure (Success) \- Your mind keeps working, but only out of sheer desperation. 

“I’m fine...for now....that smell...” I mumble, pinching my nose.

“The body is already going through decomposition…” Shuichi remarks.

I’m still holding my breath...how are we possibly going to do this?

“Ah, Kaede, if it’s possible, slowly let go of your nose, alright? Take your time.”

Endurance - It’s not going to work.

But…

I try to let go of my nose without throwing up.

Endurance (Failed) \- The smell is absolutely repulsive. It’s filling your mind, and flushing you from within. 

I immediately pinch my nose again.

“Shuichi.”

“Ah...that might be a problem…” Shuichi smiles nervously, with beads of cold sweat.

Shuichi passes me a handkerchief from his pocket.

“It’s okay, Kaede. Happens to everyone.”

“Thanks, Shuichi.” I try my best to smile, though it feels basically impossible.

“Ah, actually, I just thought of something.” Shuichi places his hand over his mouth.

“Let’s get you some ammonia. My belief is that the hangover is making this a lot worse for you. Let’s clear your head first.”

Encyclopedia - I guess he’s not wrong. It’s a general belief that smelling salts tend to “cure” hangovers to a certain extent.

“Okay, where can we get some ammonia from?”

“We can get some from the gardener earlier, or we could get some from the local convenience store.”

“Good idea.”

We start walking back, and we approach the gardener.

I give him a polite nod.

“It’s raining…” The man looks up at the overcast sky.

“It was just clear too…”  
Empathy - Sadness. Not in his eyes, no. But in his body.  
Perception (Sight) - You’re only saying that because you can’t see his eyes through that ridiculous clown mask.

“Ah, sorry, but would you happen to still have your salts? Kaede could really use some right now.”

“Sure, I’m done with them for now anyways.” He takes out a small capsule from his pocket and hands it to me.

Item Obtained:  
163\. Ampoule of Ammonia

“Thanks! It means a lot.” I give a weak smile.

“Make sure to go easy on that though. It gives you a terrible headache if you use too much.”

Walking back once again, I feel my legs slightly getting tired.

I get tired pretty quickly, huh?

Approaching the body, I cover my nose a slight bit.

Endurance - It isn’t enough.

What?

Endurance - Yes. Just try it.

Item Lost:  
163\. Ampoule of Ammonia

I let go of my nose…

Endurance (Failed) \- Made it worse, actually. 

Endurance - The combination of the smell and the ammonia forces tears out of your eyes.

I quickly cover my nose again.

Endurance - Wait, you feel someth-

That better not be what I think it is.

Endurance (Success) \- You manage to keep in the vomit, and instead gag reflexively. 

Shuichi pats your back rhythmically.

“It’s okay...We’ll figure something out. The rain and wind are also affecting you.”

Esprit De Corps - It’s reassuring...pat...pat...pat…

“Shuichi, just do it without me. I just can’t…You’re the Ultimate Detective, not me. I’m not a big loss anyways. I’m just a piano freak.” I look down.

“I can’t do this alone, Kaede. This is a 2-man assignment for a reason. I need your help.” 

Perception - Shuichi, for the first time today, looks you in the eye.  
Empathy - It’s to show he cares.  
Esprit De Corps - Because it’s the only way he knows how.

“We need to do this. Together.”  
Empathy - He feels uncomfortable trying to comfort you, but means it.

“Maybe we should go talk to the locals or find something else to do until the rain ends. It’s pretty bad right now.” He suggests.

Looking around, I notice that he’s right. The rain isn’t insanely heavy, but it’s pouring enough that I can smell the wet soil.

Perception (Smell) - A murky, fresh, pleasant smell.

Encyclopedia - Petrichor.

“Give it half an hour, then let’s come back and try again, alright?” Shuichi rubs my shoulder comfortingly.

I nod with my tearful eyes, and continue pinching my nose as we walk away.

As we’re walking out the fence leading to the courtyard…

“Hey, Shuichi?”

“Ah, what is it, Kaede?”

“Thanks.”

12:01 PM

We walk back to the Chevrolet, and I open the door once again.

Interfacing - Wait, there’s...something off.

What?

Interfacing - You’ve gotten into cars before. You know what’s off.

Just tell me what it is.

Interfacing - There’s...no lock.

Oh. Wait, what?!

“Shuichi...why isn’t your car locked?”

“Ahh...I'm not sure either. This is a car provided by Hope’s Peak. Officers from Jamrock usually have keys that can lock these Chevrolets, but they’ve never trusted a student with one of those keys.”

That...sounds highly dangerous.

Logic - Wait...since *you* don’t have a car...how did you get here?

...I...I don’t know.

Inland Empire - You don’t WANT to know.

Scooting over to the passenger side of the car, I pick up Shuichi’s phone.

Wait, why don’t we just carry this around?

“Shuichi, why don’t we just carry your phone around everywhere?”

“Ah, it’s just the school policy. Usually we aren’t allowed to carry our phones with us, as we already have our Monopads.”

That sounds...weird.

“We might have to take it though. The car being unlocked is a slight safety hazard, is it not?”

“Ah...sure.” Shuichi is incredibly unsure about this, but decides that it’s fine.

“Actually, now that I think about it, why are we using a phone? She probably has the messenger app as well, right? She’s a Hope’s Peak student too.”

“You’re right...but I still feel like calling her is better, as due to her having have already graduated, she may have lost or thrown away her Monopad."

Opening the contacts app again…

“Shuichi, you...do still have the piece of paper that Byakuya gave you, right?”

“Ah, yes. Hold on a moment…” Shuichi fumbles around in his breast pocket.

Does that breast pocket have an infinite amount of space or something? I swear, there is no bottom in there.

“Her number is - +81 005 1944 298.”

Encyclopedia - A Japanese phone number.

“Ah, a Japanese phone number? I believe it’s safe to say that her real name is likely Taeko then…” Shuichi thinks out loud.

“As expected of the Ultimate Detective!” I smile, and do a slight fist pump.

“Ah...no, it’s nothing.” Shuichi looks away, blushing just a little bit.

The phone starts dialing.

…

…

…

12:10 PM

She’s taking quite a while, isn’t she?

I start humming the main melody of one of Chopin’s masterpieces.

Encyclopedia - Sonata No.2.

One of the Grade 7 pieces I practiced day and night.

Shuichi starts to tap his foot in rhythm with the tune.

I chuckle a little, and continue humming.

“Good afternoon. Apologies for the wait.” A polite, but forceful voice comes from the other end of the phone.

“Good afternoon! This is the RCM calling. We have a few questions for you. Just to make sure, is this Celestia Ludenberg, the Cafeteria Manager of the Whirling-In-Rags?”

“Ah, yes. How can I help you?”  
Empathy - She recognizes your voice. There is resentment in her tone.

“First, why did you leave your job at the Whirling-In-Rags?”

“...Someone did some...vulgar things. Some things I felt I needed to get away from.”

“Get away from what?”

“You know what. Stop playing dumb with me.”

Suggestion - Her tone just got way more forceful. You’re stepping on thin ice here.

I sigh. “What did I do?”

“Stop talking about this. Let’s just move on.”

“I just needed a bit of time off. Leave it at that.”

“Was it you who called the police?”

“No, it was not me.”

“Do you know who made that call?”

“No, I don’t. How am I supposed to know that?”

“Do you know who had put the victim’s clothes in the trash?”

“No.”

She’s just stonewalling me, huh?

“Last question.”

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Why do you call yourself Celestia Ludenberg?”

Suggestion - She...did not like that.

“I did not…*call* myself Celestia Ludenberg. It is my real name my parents gave me.”

“Then who is Taeko Yasuhiro?”

“An ordinary loser.”

“Are we done here?” The woman on the other end sounds incredibly vexed.

I can’t really push her for any more, can I?

“I think I got everything I need. Thank you!”

“I do hope so. Don’t call me again.”

Why does she seem so upset at me?

Empathy (Success) - You have obviously done something to upset her - at the Whirling-in-Rags, while she was still working there.

“Wait...Before you go… can you tell me what I did?”

“Oh no, I’m not mad at you. It wasn’t your fault you were so vulgar because you were so drunk. It’s just...you reminded me of someone. Someone I ranked...above the average. And you ruined my image of him.”

“...How?”

“Both of you just share so many similarities, that it actually broke me when I saw you throw that stuffed bird against the wall, I just...wanted to take a break, I suppose.”

Empathy - There’s genuine sadness in her voice.

“Why did both of you have to be so similar?”

“...I’m sorry. Thank you for talking with me. Take care, please.”

Another sigh of relief.

The call ends.

I pick up the phone, and start to crawl out the door.

“Wait, Shuichi, the victim’s clothes...they were a Hope’s Peak uniform, were they not?”

“Ah...they were. What about it?”

“We should call someone at Hope’s Peak! We may be able to identify the victim if we can find out who has been missing for the past week or two!”

Shuichi nods.

“Ah, you’re right. Call Kaito. Tell him to inform Ms Chisa about our findings and ask for a list of students who went missing about a week ago.” I start scrolling down the contact list.

Ms Chisa?

Esprit De Corps - Your homeroom teacher.

I tap on Kaito Momota.  
…

My god, does everyone take 20 minutes to answer their phone or something?

“This is Kaito Momota, the Luminary of the Stars! Unfortunately, I’m probably in class or something, as you’ve reached my voicemail. Just leave your message or whatever and I’ll check it out by tomorrow!”

“Hey, Kaito. We’ve found that the victim here is very likely a Hope’s Peak student, as a uniform was found nearby. Could you request for a list of missing Hope’s Peak students in the past 2 weeks, please? I appreciate it!”

12:31 PM

Looking around, I notice the rain has stopped.

(ENDURANCE WHITE CHECKS UNLOCKED)

(LEARNING CAP FOR ENDURANCE RAISED TO 4)

Crawling out the Chevrolet, I pass the phone to Shuichi.

He takes it gently.

“Hey, Shuichi? Let’s get back to the body.”

Shuichi nods solemnly, and we start walking back to the courtyard.

Once we enter the courtyard through the fence, I once again pinch my nose.

Approaching the body, I slowly try to let go of my nose without throwing up one more time.

Endurance (Success) - As you breathe in, the odour comes over you. It’s telling you to run, empty your stomach. With your hands at your sides, and your eyes squinting, you stand in it.

I slowly step closer.

Shuichi looks to me, and gives a reassuring smile.

I smile back in response.

The girl is nearly naked, excluding her undergarments, stockings and shoes.

Her skin is a palish-green, slightly livid. 

Perception (Sight) - Other than the decomposition, she seems like a normal girl. Just a normal girl who was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

I look at the belt. 

The knot is pulled tight by the weight of the body. The yellow polyester cuts into the girl’s neck. A sliding buckle ties the belt to the branch.

“What kind of rope is this, Shuichi?”

“Industrial strength. A cargo belt, perhaps?”

Shuichi looks up at the belt.

If I catch your eyes going anywhere else, Shuichi…

“Like in a harbour?”

“Ah, I suppose so...

Inland Empire - No. It was something else - but what?

“I feel like it was something else.”

“How did they even get her up there?”

“...” Shuichi goes silent for a second…

Inland Empire - Doing something *you* have done before.

Visual Calculus - No, he’s not using me.

Volition - Not any of us.

Logic - His method of deduction is...slightly stranger.

“I don’t think they climbed up the kid’s ladder. I believe they lassoed the branch, and pulled on the belt to close the buckle.”

“You could tell that just from the belt?”

“Well, there isn’t any splintering on that ladder, so it’s the only probable answer.”

Visual Calculus - Could be. The shape of the branch supports the theory.

Composure - Look her in the eye.

Why?

Composure - Just do it.

Inland Empire - Her eyes are closed...blind to the world.

Perception (Sight) - Those eyes…  
Inland Empire - They were grayish olive. Similar to your partner.

I look to Shuichi.

You’re right.

Shuichi notices, and gives me a reassuring nod.

“Her eyes...they used to be grayish olive.”

“How...do you know?” Shuichi asks, sweating a bit.

…

How *do* I know?

Looking back at the body, I look at her blonde hair.

Long. Reaches beyond her shoulders…

The only thing she’s missing is the ahoge.

Inland Empire (Failure) \- “Who are you?” 

The corpse is dead silent. You have no idea why you said that.

Shuichi looks at me, slightly perplexed.

…

I back off a slight bit.

Inland Empire - Her corpse is marked by familial love.

Inland Empire - Alcohol and guilt.

Shuichi murmurs something under his breath.

Perception (Hearing) - “We’re missing something here…”

He holds his phone up, and...

*Snap!*

A camera function.

Suggestion (Failed) \- “Shuichi! I know boys have their needs and all, but come on!” 

“What?! No! We need these pictures for the Deadly Life report!” Shuichi raises his hands in shock.

“Pfftt…” I start giggling to myself.

Shuichi pulls down his cap, and passes me his phone.

Looking at the photo, I don’t see anything new…

Perception (Sight) - There’s nothing really different, other than the new pixelation.

I pass him back his phone, and squint at the body carefully…

She turns into a mess of pink...and pale?

Visual Calculus (Success) - Pink is where the blood settled post-mortem. Pink is also where the blood is. Good luck trying to sort that out. 

Visual Calculus - You, however, can use this to see if the corpse has been tampered with. Does the time of death match the discolouration?

Perception (Sight) - ...Her hands, thighs, and neck are pink, with a slight blue. The rest of the corpse is a dark palish-green.

Dark palish-green? What kind of colour is that?

“Her face, hands and thighs are pink, Shuichi.”

“...You’re right. She was probably upright after death...”

I refocus my eyes.

"The neck, especially. This...really seems like a hanging.” Shuichi seems hesitant, gripping on his cap. 

Perception (Sight) - He’s breaking into a cold sweat again.

Empathy - Is this the right answer? He thinks.

“Could she have been moved after death?”

“Ah, there’s always a chance.” 

“We should focus on getting her down first, though.”

I back up...and slowly catch my breath.

“So...what’s the plan for getting her down? I would say we’ve been thorough with the examination of the hanged body.”

Shuichi places his index finger under his chin. “...The belt is steel-reinforced. The chain-cutters won’t help here…” He murmurs.

“1.2 metres up from our height, roughly. It’s unlikely either of us could reach the belt, and even if we did, we still had to cut it…”

“.......” Shuichi goes into a deep thinking.

We could get help from the harbour, but that means relying on suspects of the case…

Sawing the branch wouldn’t work here. It’s too dangerous.

Maybe...Just maybe...We could…*shoot* her down?

“Shuichi...do you have a gun?”

Shuichi pulls his black uniform up a bit, and reveals a pistol in a holster.

“Yes...why?” Shuichi is incredibly concerned about what you are planning to do.

“We could...try to shoot the body down.”

Shuichi starts breaking into a cold sweat.

“...How are you planning on going about this?”

Visual Calculus - …

Perception (Sight) - …

Perception (Sight) (Success) - The buckle…

Visual Calculus - It ties the rope to the branch. That’s a good spot to aim.

I point to the buckle.

“That holds the belt together.”

“Ah...If the shot hits that...it might release the belt.”

Shuichi pulls off his cap and places it in your hands, and places his phone in it.

He raises his uniform, and slowly pulls out the pistol from the holster.

Perception (Sight) - Finger off the trigger.

Hand/Eye Coordination - A SIG Sauer P220.

Encyclopedia - A service pistol.

He checks the inside of the chamber.

He pulls up his uniform again, and grabs a magazine.

Making sure the safety’s still on, he loads the pistol.

He turns the safety off, and cocks the gun.

Stepping back, he assumes the Chapman stance, takes aim…

Hand/Eye Coordination - No! That’s the wrong choice! Your shoulders are raised!

His finger is placed on the trigger…

“Calm…” I whisper.

Hand/Eye Coordination - He’s going to miss.

I cover my ears with my hands.

*BANG!*

A shrill blast.

A cloud of smoke slowly parts.

The detective steps back.

Hand/Eye Coordination - He got lucky.

The body slumps down.

Inland Empire - She seems to kneel in front of you.

Inland Empire - Looking straight at you. Helpless.

What killed you?

“Hope.” The girl whispers.

Reaction Speed - The association flashes in your cortex. You have no idea what it is, but it’s right.

The muscles give way, and she slams into the mud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I have no idea how to write Celestia properly (which is why she sounds so out of character).


	8. The Autopsy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I slowly push my gloved fingers into the body's mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter is kind of disgusting, in all honesty. If you have a problem with...gore? I suppose? I'm...not sure you'll like this chapter. Either way, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!
> 
> Again, another M chapter.

1 PM

“Nice one, Shuichi!” 

Shuichi scratches the side of his head sheepishly.

“Alright! Now I’m pumped! What’s next?” I ask.

[“A field autopsy, and the cause of death.” After the adrenaline wears off, Shuichi looks away for a moment, covering his nose.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOi8G6q24KI)

Perception (Smell) - Slumped on the ground has not…’improved’ the corpse’s smell. 

“Uh...Nevermind!”

Shuichi, ensuring that he avoids touching the trigger of the gun, turns the safety on. Pulling out the magazine, he re-holsters his gun, after ensuring the chamber is empty.

“We can also start the initial interviews.”

“Ah, Kaede, can I have my things back?”

I pass him back the cap.

"I almost forgot, could you hold on to this for me? We can't do an autopsy with my hands full." Shuichi asks, passing me his phone.

"Sure!" I take it from his hands and place it into my bag.

"Thanks." Shuichi puts his cap back on.

"We should start the field autopsy first. Kaede, put on those gloves you got."

Digging through my bag, I find and quickly put on a pair of yellow latex gloves.

Logic - You know, you talk about how Shuichi's breast pocket is an infinite void of space, but we don't talk about your backpack. It's even holding chain cutters and a prybar right about now.

Shuichi nods, and pulls out his own pair of black gloves from his pants pocket.

Perception - Leather?

“Alright...I know you said we need to examine the body, but...where do we start?” I stand close by, leaning in a bit.

“It’s alright...I’ll do it.” Shuichi takes a deep breath and crouches down, with his Monopad in hand.

Shuichi covers his nose. 

I pull out my Monopad from my bag.

“Shuichi, what actually *is* a field autopsy?”

“Ah...right, your memory...”

“Under the Deadly Life section of the Monopad, open up our case.”

Following his instructions, I scroll past the icons until I find the black and white bear.

Scrolling to the bottom, I finally see “THE HANGED WOMAN”.

“There, you can find a section called “Monokuma File”. Open it up.”

On the top right, I see a small section of what looks like a black folder, with the same monochrome bear in the corner labelled "Monokuma File". I tap on it. 

A page comes up, with a table for a person’s parameters.

Age, sex, height, weight, chest size…

Wait, chest size? How are we supposed to measure that here?

Blood type, too!

At the top, I notice that this is only the first page of the file.

‘Victim’

The second page is called ‘Situation’. I decide to tap on it.

Assistant, coroner’s case number, the cause of death, injuries, where the body was discovered…

“Kaede, we should start under the Victim section, first.”

Wait, should Shuichi really be the one inspecting a *half-naked female* body?

Inland Empire - Would *you* rather be the one that’s doing the inspection?

Well...can’t argue with that.

The fields begin with:

“1. Name:”

“Unknown. What’s next?”

“2. Date of Birth:”

“Unknown.”

“3. Age:”

“...Roughly 20 or 21 years old.”

Visual Calculus - Try 17 or 18. The damage is far too extensive, it’s much better to err on the younger side of things.

“I’m going to write around 18 years old, Shuichi.”

Shuichi nods.

“4. Race:”

“Unknown. Possibly Japanese.”

I nod, and continue typing.

“5. Sex:”

“Female.”

“Alright, you can move on to the situation.”

“What about measurements?”

“Ah...I almost forgot.”

Shuichi reaches into his pants pocket and produces a measuring tape.

“6. Height:”

“Not very muscular, but well nourished. She measures about 1.63 metres tall.”

“7. Weight:”

“We’ll leave that one for Precinct 41.”

“8. Chest Size:”

Shuichi looks to me with a worried look.

“...Kaede, can you do this one?”

*Can* I?

“I can try…”

I put away the Monopad, and grab the measuring tape from Shuichi.

…

“82 cm. Roughly.”

I pass Shuichi the measuring tape, and pull out my Monopad again.

“9. Body Hair:”

“Blond, shoulder-length hair.”

“10. Blood Type:”

“We’ll leave that one to Precinct 41 as well. Anything else?”

I shake my head.

“Alright, let’s move onto Situation, then.”

I nod, and tap on the Situation tab.

"1. Assistant: "

"Shuichi Saihara."

"2. Coroner's Case Number:"

"I'm not really sure about this one, but..."

"KA130-2811.0700."

"3. Summary:" 

“The woman was killed on roughly the 23rd of November. We are unable to confirm the time of death. The body has not been identified. The body was found in the courtyard of the Whirling-In-Rags, where it was hung on a tree branch with a strong cargo belt.”

“Treatment?”

“None -- at least, not after the initial examination.”

“What is treatment anyways?”

“...I don’t really know how to explain it. I guess interference with the body’s position or wounds after death?” Shuichi answers hesitantly.

“I’m...not so sure about that. Wasn’t she carried over to the tree?”

Shuichi places his hand over his mouth to hide himself from the stench.

“They probably incapacitated her first, then carried her over to be hung...”

Esprit De Corps (Success) - The man in the purple blazer is walking to the cafeteria, once again accompanied by the brown-haired girl.

Approaching the cafeteria, they notice a slightly older woman, with green eyes and orange hair.

“Good afternoon, Ms Chisa! We’ve got a request from Kaede down in Martinaise!”

The woman smiles.

1:30 PM

“Alright...Next is the postmortem…” Shuichi mumbles under his breath.

“The external examination -- summary.”

“The deceased wears pink undergarments, as well as black stockings and shoes.”

“Hey...Kaede? Could you...check the brand of the undergarments?”

“Ah! Um...Sure!”

I move next to the body, the pungent smell hitting my nose in full force once again.

Urgh...How did I deal with this before?  
Inland Empire - You didn't.

As I attempt to turn the body around…

Physical Instrument (Failed) - You’re not strong enough. Why are you so weak?! You manage to lift the body a slight bit, but you can’t fully lift it up.

“Uhh...Shuichi, could I get a little help with this?”

“Ah, sure, I can try to help.”

Shuichi kneels down next to me, and places his hands under the body.  
“Ready?”

I nod.  
“3...2...1…Now!”

With our combined force…  
Physical Instrument (Success) - You manage to turn the body around. But only with his help. We need to get you back into tip-top shape! 

Back into? Was I already in tip-top shape?

Turning the body around, on the bra strap, I notice a small brand name.  
“Babroudine.”

I didn't even know they made colour with their brand.

“Size...M? I think.”

“And colour: pink.”

I stand up again, covering my nose to prevent more of the smell from infiltrating my body.

Walking away, I pull out my Monopad once again.

“Victim is wearing pink Babroudine undergarments.”

“The shoes are black, covered shoes. Stockings may be fused into the victim’s skin due to blood postmortem. Removal of the shoes and stockings is up to Precinct 41’s processing.”

As I continue typing, I notice that Shuichi is looking away while talking.

Composure - He's trying to avoid the stench of the decomposition.

“Lividity...consistent with a lynching, and the head is congested.”

“There are also bite marks on the face and scalp.”

“Animals?”

Shuichi nods.

“It’s likely.”

I continue typing down what he says.

“Ligature mark…” Shuichi turns to me.

“Kaede, could you pass me your backpack?”

“Huh? Sure! What do you need it for?”

Shuichi unzips the bag and breaks into a cold sweat.

“Ah, have you just been...carrying these around the entire time in your bag?”

Shuichi pulls out the chain cutters and prybar out of the backpack.

“Umm...Yes?”

“How...? These weigh a ton. Also, how is your bag not broken yet?” Shuichi seems slightly shocked.

“Well...I suppose it proved useful here.” Shuichi picks up the chain cutters.

“We need to cut the belt to see the ligature mark here…”

Interfacing (Success) - The knot is the weak spot. The chain cutters will fit there.

“Shuichi, you hold up the belt. I’ll cut it.” I place the Monopad on the ground.

Shuichi looks to me, and nods.

“If you’re confident about this, I’ll trust you.”

Shuichi passes me the chain cutters carefully.

I kneel down in front of the body.

Shuichi holds up the belt.

Interfacing - Cut it! Now!

Physical Instrument (Success) - You sink the cutters into the knot. You squeeze the handles together, and press down.

*Snap!*

The knot is slashed. I cut it a second time, and the belt falls apart.

“Dark red ligature mark…” Shuichi mutters.

For what I hope to be the last time, I pick myself up, along with the Monopad from the ground. I put the chain cutters back into my bag.

Shuichi leans in.

“There’s a gap in the ligature mark. The suspension point is at the back of the neck.”

“There’s haemorrhaging on the skin above and below the ligature mark. Well pronounced.”

“Chest is intact...Abdomen is normal...Genitalia…”

Uhhh...Earth to Shuichi? That doesn’t sound like a good idea.

“Shuichi…”

“I know, Kaede. We’ll leave it to the Precinct.”

“The back is intact...other than that, not much.”

“Last item on the list - Hands.”

Shuichi lifts up the female’s right hand, and moves on to the left.

“Hands are clean. No sign of a struggle at all.”

“...Were we expecting a struggle? Weren’t there like, no treatment?” I ask.

“I...don’t know. The stench is making it hard to think.”

I continue typing it all down.

Shuichi turns his face away...catching his breath again.

“That’s it for external examination.”

“2. Internal examination -- summary.”

“I...don’t think we can do anything on that one.”

Conceptualization (Success) - Of course we can! There’s a moral to be drawn from this story, after all!

What?

I mean, why not. It might help.

“Shuichi, if I may add the *moral* of this story…”

Shuichi looks at me curiously.

“The brain is very vulnerable to compromises in its blood supply.”

Shuichi smiles nervously.

“You probably shouldn’t write that down, though I believe that is the moral of most stories that involve death.”

“I’ll put in N/A.”

Shuichi nods.

“Ah..wait, what about the musculoskeletal system?” Shuichi mutters to himself.

Shuichi places his hand on the body’s throat, massaging it slightly.

“The hyoid bone is fractured, but everything else is intact..”

I nod, and type it out.

“Respiratory system seems fine…”

“The mouth is swollen, due to hemorrhaging.”

“The body also exhibits heavy lividity. Blood gathered at the hands, feet and neck.”

Shuichi breathes a sigh of relief.

The last thing on the list.

“...”

“Gastrointestinal seems alright as well.”

I nod.

2 PM

“Last thing on the list: Description of injuries - summary.”

Shuichi nods, and tilts his head a little at the body..

“We’ll go through both of them. Bite marks and a ligature mark.”

Reaction Speed - Be *thorough* for maximum results.

“1. Bite Marks:”

“Head and scalp bite marks. Likely predation by birds.”

“What do you think, Kaede? Fatal, or post-mortem?”

“You’re asking me?”

“Ah, I just...wanted your opinion on this.”

“....Post-mortem.”

Shuichi nods.

“I agree.”

“2. Ligature Mark:”

“Dark red and abraded. Circles the neck, with a gap measuring about...7 cm. The hyoid bone is fractured, but the cervical column is still intact.”

“Haemorrhaging on the skin above and below the ligature mark. The depth is about 1 cm, with no signs of clawing at the neck.”

Reaction Speed (Success) - Think for a moment. There’s time. Don’t rush it.

…

It’s obvious that this is the fatal injury.

Logic - A bit too obvious, is it not?

You think this was used to cover up something?

Logic - That is my opinion, yes.

Hmmm….

“Kaede?”

“Mm? What is it?”

“What’s your opinion? Fatal injury, or post-mortem?”

…

“Fatal injury.”

“Hm….” Shuichi covers his mouth with his hand.

“I believe that’s it.” Shuichi suddenly bursts out of thought.

“Alright. We’re done here.”

“How did it go, Shuichi?”

He turns to me. “Ah. I would say this autopsy was a success. We managed to establish a cause of death, and we were incredibly thorough with the injuries too.”

“All in all, we achieved most goals in a field autopsy. We’ll submit the Monokuma file once we send the body back to the precinct.”

“Then, the body at Precinct 41 will get processed.” He turns back to the corpse.

Empathy - He’s thinking - Did I miss something?

Composure - You tilt your head, looking at the corpse as well.

Visual Calculus - Hmm...I’m pretty sure we didn't get everything. There’s always something else.

Inland Empire (Success) \- Who are you? 

I’m gone.

What...is happening?

What do you mean?

I’m talking to you.

I also don’t know why I’m talking to trash like you either. But it’s the power of your imagination.

Yeah. Don’t be crazy. Inanimate objects and dead people can’t really talk to you. This is your *wild imagination*.

Wait, what was that?

Your tie.

...Am I still drunk?

Electrochemistry - Not that I know of! You've been such a party pooper lately, that you haven't drunk anything alcoholic yet! We need to get on that like right now! 

But *who* are you?

A joke.

But you’re a Hope’s Peak student right? What ultimate were you?

I'm from Hope's Peak, but I’m from the Reserve Course, you moron. That's why I have a uniform. I don’t have a talent or anything. All I am is a little sister.

Who were you when you were alive?

A self-centered little sister.

...I’m done here.

You can come back anytime you want, you Ultimate student.

Something’s wrong here...We’re missing something big.

Perception (Sight) - We could...try to find something. Give me a moment.

Perception (Failed) \- You look over the body one more time… 

Under her fingernails.

Perception (Sight) - Nothing.

Her hands? 

Perception (Sight) - Nothing. 

“Ah, Kaede...You think we missed something?”

I nod.

…

2:16 PM

Shuichi crouches and looks over the body again…

…

Who killed you?

Love did me in.

But didn't you say...never mind.

Volition - Don’t give up! One more time!

Perception (Failed) - Digging around in this mess is proving hopelessly difficult.

No! There has to be something!

Shuichi seems to go blank for half a second.

Suddenly, he closes his eyes… and pushes his finger into the body’s mouth.

“Shuichi! What are you doing?!”

Inland Empire - He’s on the right track.

He opens his eyes.

“In the back of her mouth…above the uvula…” Shuichi mutters.

I quickly move behind him, and look over his shoulder into the body’s mouth.

Perception (Sight) - A hole. Barely visible. It’s swollen shut. No larger than 0.4 cm in radius. The edges have darkened.

Visual Calculus - An *abrasion collar*?! THIS was what we were after.

“...Shuichi?”

He looks back to me, with a nervous look.

“Kaede...Do you think you can get it?”

“What?!”

“The bullet.” He says matter-of-factly.

"You're better with your hands than I am. After all, you're the Ultimate Musician." 

"Okay, first of all, Pianist." I pout.  
"Also, you...want me to put my finger...into a dead person's mouth? Who do you think I am?! I'll vomit before I make it past the teeth!" 

"Could you please, just give it a try, Kaede?" 

Suggestion (Failed) - Ughhhh, it's so hard resisting him. Just give up. 

I sigh. 

...Do I really have to do this?

Once again placing my Monopad on the ground, I crouch down next to the body's head. 

Shuichi scoots over to the side.

I slowly push my gloved fingers into the body's mouth.

Composure (Success) - Just....think of it as playing the piano. 

The wound.

I put my finger in.

My index finger barely fits, wide enough for two fingers. 

I push deeper in.

“...A hole?”

Shuichi seems highly intrigued...piecing things together in his mind.

I wriggle in further…

Interfacing - Fish it out. You can do it.

Interfacing (Success) - I pick the object between my index and middle finger...sharp. 

I slowly pull my fingers out…

The garden glove is covered in blood. But. Right between my fingers…

“A bullet…” I mutter, as I stand up.

Shuichi quickly pulls out a plastic bag labelled *evidence*.

I drop it in. The blood splatters lightly in the bag.

“A rifle bullet? I’m not sure about the calibre...but it seems like it fractured on impact. Kaede, you should keep this. We’ll log it later.”

Shuichi drops the light plastic bag into my hand.

“The Monokuma File…”

Shuichi pulls out his Monopad.

“Oval entry wound...Abrasion collar. Back of mouth.” He murmurs.

“High velocity, and a cavity in brain tissue.”

“Opinion -- Fatal Injury, and the cause of death.”

“Injury #2: Ligament mark. Non-fatal, post-mortem.”

Logic - He’s implying that the bullet was the real cause of death - and the hanging was an attempt to *conceal* this fact.

“The belt, the hanging…*all* of it was done after the woman has already died.” I mutter.

“I had my doubts since you told me about the tracks. Why *did* they carry her over? Why not march her?” 

“There were other, smaller signs too.”

Empathy - He feels ashamed of his inadequate ability as a detective. How did he not see this sooner? 

Esprit De Corps - We almost fell for it, he thinks.

"It's fine, Shuichi. We all make mistakes." 

"Huh?" Shuichi seems lightly perplexed by what I said. 

Oh, right. Cause he doesn't know when I can read him and when I can't. 

"Just thought you were beating yourself up about thinking the lynching was the cause of death. Just wanted to tell you that it was okay!" 

"Oh...Thanks." Shuichi lightly looks away. 

“You think we can find more from the bullet?”

“I believe so. We should try to get a closer look later.”

Hand/Eye Coordination - I can tell you all about that weapon.

“Urk...I think I have to get a shower…”

“Ah, your room in the Whirling-In-Rags comes with a bathroom. You might want to use that in the evening. I should get one as well, later.”

“What happens now?” I ask.

“We’ll put her in a body bag, and we can drive the body to processing tomorrow, no problem there.”

Shuichi looks back at the body. 

“...Kaede, this was really good work.”

He smiles grimly.

“Shuichi...How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“About the bullet in the mouth.”

Shuichi looks down for a bit.

Empathy - Do I tell her? He wonders.

“Let’s get her into the Chevrolet.”

“I’ll need help carrying her. I’ll take the hands. You can take the legs.”


	9. The Industrial Harbour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Alright, what’s next, Shuichi?” I ask, holding onto my Monopad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congratulations to Disco Elysium for winning the Best Narrative, Independent Game, RPG game and the fresh indie developer awards from The Game Awards!
> 
> Unfortunately, while I was watching the Game Awards, I was kind of procrastinating this fic. 
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

2:34 PM

As we place the bag into the car, I put away the blood-covered gardening gloves.

Shuichi does the same, removing his black gloves and places them in the glove box of his car, instead of into his pocket.

Perception - Your Monopad just vibrated.

Quickly unzipping my bag, I pull out my Monopad.

'The Monokuma File has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad.'

I swipe my way to the bullet icon, and tap on it.

Monokuma File - The victim’s identity is unknown. The body was discovered in the outside of the Whirling-In-Rags, in the establishment’s courtyard. The murder is estimated to have occurred about a week ago. The victim seems to have been killed with a rifle bullet, found in the back of her mouth. Someone seemed to have attempted to cover up the cause of death, as the body was found hanging off a tree, making it seem like a lynching.

There sure are a lot of 'seems' in the cause of death. I suppose we can’t be fully confident in our answer yet, especially considering the fact that we fell for it once.

“Alright, what’s next, Shuichi?” I ask, holding onto my Monopad.

“We start on initial interviews. First on the list is Kokichi Oma, the leader of DICE.”

“Where is he?”

Shuichi points to a large building north-east of us.

“The industrial harbour. He’s likely somewhere in there.”

I nod, and we start walking east from the car. Walking past the gardener once again, I give him a bright smile, as we keep walking.

On the left, I see a convenience store. Through the windows, I can see alcohol on the top shelf.

Electrochemistry - Let’s get in there right now!

Volition - No! We have an investigation to complete.

Walking past the convenience store, I see a large group of people, who seem to be holding signs in protest.

A boy in the middle seems to be orchestrating the whole thing.

A slim, young man, he’s pretty short, along with a baby face. He has blond hair, as well as golden eyes, wearing a business suit.

As I walk up to him…

Half Light - Might not be the best idea you’ve had in a while.

I suppose he does look a little suspicious.

“Ah...wait….” Shuichi mumbles.

Shuichi taps on my shoulder.

“Kaede. We need to leave. Now.” I turn around to face him.

Empathy - There’s worry in his eyes. 

“But...how do we-”

“Kaede. Now!”

Authority - This is the first time he’s been firm with you. You should listen to him.

We brisk-walked back to the outside of the Whirling-In-Rags.

“...What...was that about?” I ask worriedly.

“I..don’t know what he’s doing here. But we need to find a different way up.” Shuichi insists, looking back towards the large crowd protesting in front of the building.

“But we don’t even know if there’s another way up!” I argue.

“Kaede, do you know who that man is?”

Encyclopedia (Failed) - No. No you don’t. 

“No? Am I supposed to know who he is?”

“Kaede, that’s Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu! The Ultimate Yakuza.”

I’m sorry, what?

“I’m...not sure I heard you correctly. Could you repeat?”

“No...you heard me right. That man is the Ultimate Yakuza of Class 77-B.”

“What?!”

Composure (Success) - Oh. Well. That might be a problem.

Shuichi sighs. “Kaede, we need to find a different way up. We can’t go through there.”

I quietly nod.

Perception (Sight) - Looking back at the building, you see a series of abandoned and half-destroyed buildings.

Logic - They may link to the main building! If you manage to find a way up to one of them...there may be a path that leads up to the industrial harbour!

“Shuichi, I think I may have found...a way up.”

“Huh?”

I point towards the 2 abandoned buildings.

“Shuichi, you see those 2 buildings there? If we find a way up to one of them...”

“...” Shuichi breaks out into a cold sweat.

“Ah...Kaede...Do you...not see the problem here?”

“Hmm? What problem?”

Shuichi points through the broken wall of one of the buildings.

“The doorway...It’s collapsing, Kaede. Going up to that building is way too unsafe.”

I look towards where he was pointing at.

Visual Calculus - It does seem quite dangerous…

Perception (Sight) - Nope. There are restoration pillars put in place there, you see?

“Shuichi, there are restoration pillars in place.” I point towards the rusted metal pillars.

Shuichi looks back.

“Ah...You’re right. Sorry, I didn't see them.” Shuichi says sheepishly.

Rhetoric - It’s a genuine apology. Don’t take it as a jab.

“It’s fine!” I smile.

“But...How are we supposed to get there?” Shuichi asks.

Visual Calculus - If you remember correctly...There might be somewhere in the courtyard with the body.

“...I think we have a way up somewhere in the courtyard.”

“Ah...Really? We have to go check.”

Walking back to the courtyard, I start humming a tune.

As we approach the tree...

Visual Calculus - There! On your right!

Looking to the right, I see a rickety shack.

“The shack there. I think we can get up there to get to the abandoned buildings.” I point.

“Where’s...the door?” Shuichi mumbles.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - The panels...pull them aside.

There’s a roofing panel placed upright in front of the shack.

I pull the panels aside.

As the panel falls down, it lets out a bellowing *thud* on the ground.

Perception (Sight) - A shabby door, leading to the inside.

“Ah...so this is the entrance…”

Perception (Sound) - The sound of snow melting and dripping from the roof...it’s strange.

“You wanna head in, Shuichi?”

“It might be dangerous...we don’t really know this part of Martinaise that much…”

Half Light - He’s right. This place is full of mysteries.

“Then...let’s move carefully! But...with you at the front!” I say cheerfully.

“Ah...I see...So...I’m in front...” Shuichi hesitantly leads the way, and opens the door.

Walking in, we see the inside of the incredibly dusty and rickety shack.

On the left, there are some half-collapsed shelves, with small, empty capsules of “Magsoleam”.

Electrochemistry - Magnesium supplement! We need a bit of that too!

I’m...just going to continue ignoring you.

On the right, on a table, I see a silver plate, with small traces of yellow powder.

Electrochemistry - Be still...my beating heart...it’s amphetamine!

What about no? I won’t stoop down to that level.

Electrochemistry - My dear, you already have!

Above the drugs, is a poster which says “GET OUT OF THE WAY!”.

Wow, rude.

“Kaede...You see that ladder?” Shuichi’s voice brings me out of my stupor. He’s pointing to a ladder in the corner of the room, in front of the half-collapsed shelf.

“That...might lead to the industrial harbour. It’s probably a secret path the kids use here.” Shuichi explains.

“Really? We can try it! But...you have to go first.” I say, slightly blushing.

“Huh?” Shuichi seems...surprisingly perplexed at my request.

Regardless, Shuichi climbs up first, as I climb up after him. 

2:40 PM

The wind grazes past my face, as I climb up and open the small roofing panel at the top of the ladder.

Climbing up, I manage to get up to the roof of the shack.

“Now that we’re actually up here...we’re quite high up, huh?” I mumbled, trying to break the silence.

Looking down, I notice blue barrels.

Perception (Sight) - They’re half full of water.

However, Shuichi doesn’t respond, instead looking at the collapsed building in front of us.

“How...do you think we can get up there?” Shuichi inquires.

Shivers - You should walk here, not run.

“...Maybe that piece of broken roofing could act as a ramp for us to climb up?” I suggest.

Shuichi seems to go blank for a second…

“I...think that’s our only way up.” Shuichi nods.

Walking up, I carefully make sure not to trip, and climb up the collapsed building.

Looking down, I notice that the abandoned building was actually once part of the Industrial Harbour. The collapsed roof actually led to the roof of one of the buildings in the Industrial Harbour.

Looking right, I see an enormous crane in the distance, over a container yard.

Empathy - Shuichi seems interested in the container yard, a bit concerned about how we can get in.

Interfacing - The crane is a Kvalsund 10-20 HK.

Looking downwards off the left side of the roof of the building I was currently on, I see a small gap between this building and the building connected to the rest of the harbour.

Shuichi looks down.

“Shuichi, I’m gonna jump down.”

“Wouldn’t…it be better to just climb down? I suppose two metres doesn’t seem too much..but still...” Shuichi says worriedly.

Savoir Faire - Yeah, but it wouldn’t be as *disco* though!

...How bad could it end, right?

I move back a bit, and start running.

Savoir Faire (Sucess) - As you leap through the air, a breeze engulfs you.

Imagine yourself dual wielding a keyboard and a bottle! While you’re airborne!

…

I land on the concrete floor.

Savoir Faire - It’s been a while since you felt so alive, alert and capable. It’s the adrenaline.

“Kaede?! Are you alright?!”

Savoir Faire - With your feet planted firmly on the concrete, the harbour’s sounds rush back in.

Looking behind me, I notice that Shuichi has climbed down in order to make sure that I was okay.

“I’ve never felt better, Shuichi!” I yell.

Shuichi lets out a sigh of relief.

“Thank god, you’re alright. Please don’t do that again, Kaede.”

Suggestion (Success) \- “What are you, worried?” I say coyly. 

Shuichi sighs again, blushing ever so slightly.

“Let’s...just get going.”

As we amble through the walkway of the harbour, I see a guard house, which has a full view of the courtyard.

Encyclopedia - The nightwatchman’s booth.

The name on the door reads ‘Mondo Owada’

“Shuichi...I’m just going to take a look inside, alright?”

“Kaede, make sure you hurry up. We’re pretty easy to spot here, and we’re...kind of trespassing, here.”

I nod, and look through the booth.

Perception (Sight) - Nothing incriminating here... There’s a framed photograph though.

A man in a pompadour and a dark biker overcoat with his arm around another man with spiky black hair, with a military-like uniform.

Physical Instrument - Slap it!   
Uh...what? 

Physical Instrument - YOU HEARD WHAT I SAID, WOMAN! SLAP IT! 

What?! No! Why would I do that?! 

Physical Instrument - YOU DARE DEFY ME?! 

YES! 

I leave the picture alone, and quickly leave the booth.

“Kaede, we better get going.”

I nod, and we start heading back. 

Looking back, I notice a set of stairs that lead to the container yard.

“Shuichi, let's go down those stairs.”

Shuichi nods, and we start walking through the cargo yard.

Perception - All around you, great machines in quiescence.

Is it bad I don’t know what that word means?

As we continue following the path, I notice *another* set of stairs leading further down.

Physical Instrument - This is great! Keep working that cardio!

The stairs led to *another* walkway, with a rusting control panel.

Two buttons are marked.

*Allumer* and *Éteindre*. 

Encyclopedia - *Allumer* - On. *Éteindre* - Off.

I...should leave this alone.

As we continue following the path, I notice faded industrial lettering on the platform. 

‘KVALSUND’.

Encyclopedia - *Whale Fjord* in Ardan.

We continue walking, this time on a ton of container and cargo, until we find an open container.

Shuichi and I walk in.

2:44 PM.

As we walked in, we hear the sound of typing.

The first thing I notice is a table and chair on my right.

Encyclopedia - On the table, a coffee machine. It’s still lukewarm.

To the left, a stair of pallets lead up. Walking up...I see two young boys in the room. 

Visual Calculus - This is probably another container.

A short boy with a cap sitting in a comfortable chair with his legs on the table, and a slightly taller boy with blond hair that...turns up? That’s the best way I can describe him.

The taller boy has a minimalist clown mask on, and he’s typing on the laptop.

“Took you two long enough! Nishishi~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Typing Kokichi's laugh honestly hurt me irl, hopefully my pain threshold is high enough for me to stand writing him for a few more chapters.


	10. Kokichi Oma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why?! Why do you always have to do this?!” Kokichi starts sobbing crocodile tears.

The taller boy continued typing on his laptop, while the shorter boy places his hands behind his head.

I look around the room.

It looks like a full on supervillain’s base here!

Conceptualization - The area has a very futuristic feel to it, with touches of blue and red to add variety.

At the back of the room, there is a symbol of a corporation, with the letters “-DICE-” under it.

On the left, there is a small arsenal of prank gear, with handcuffs, gas masks and even radios. There are also clown masks, supposedly used as a disguise.

Visual Calculus - There’s...probably enough space to fit all of this in a cargo container.

Also, that’s no comfortable chair, that’s a full on throne!

Perception (Sight) - Nope.

Huh?

Perception (Sight) - It’s a trick. It is most definitely not a throne. That’s just a bit of art, with a chair in front of it.

Who is this kid?!

“Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader of Class 130.” Shuichi states, looking at me.

Esprit De Corps - He’s saying that for *you*.

Wait, so he was in my class?

Still though, a supreme leader. I know we already talked about this before, but really? It...doesn’t really make much sense, does it?

Encyclopedia - Yes. Really.

“Heyyy! Shuichi! You can’t just steal my introduction like that!” Kokichi pouts.

‘Kokichi’ is wearing a white suit, with straps on his arms and pants. He has incredible pale skin, and purple hair. He’s also wearing a checkered scarf.

The blond boy next to him is wearing a similar outfit, with a clown mask on.

Logic - So the gardener down stairs is probably also a member of this ‘DICE’.

“I’ll do it myself! I’m Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader!”

They keep saying that…

Logic - Wait, why would he introduce himself if he’s from your class?

“Nishishi~ What are you two doing here? It’s pretty strange for you two to approach me. Actually, not really both of you. Just Kaede.” Kokichi starts inspecting his nails with his full attention. 

“Kokichi, have you heard of a murder down at the courtyard at the Whirling-In-Rags?” Shuichi questions.

“Hmmm...Nope!” Kokichi says with a huge grin on his face.

Drama (Failed) - We...believe that the sire is telling the truth, Madame. Or at least a half-truth.

“Kokichi...Just this once, can we please take things seriously? A murder has occured.” Shuichi grips his cap.

“Aww...Fineeee, just because you asked so nicely.”

Drama - Okay, we...might have missed out on...things. Because the sire just told the truth again.

What do you mean might have?!

Drama - They’re both contradictory, and one has to be truthful, but both aren’t lies...

Logic - You failed to see through the first lie. That is the end of it.

Drama - What?! Impossible!

Volition - Let’s just move on. Don’t let this get you down.

“Shuichi Saihara, could you please take a seat?” The blond-haired boy requests, pointing at a plastic, folding chair in front of the desk.

“Ah...Sure.” Shuichi pulls the chair out and sits down.

“First of all, we’ve heard of your...difficulties, with one Byakuya Togami.” The boy looks towards you.

He places an absolutely *gigantic* cheque on the desk.

Perception (Sight) - 2500 yen. That’s one quarter of what you have to pay. You *need* it.

Volition - But you would be indebted to them.

Shuichi looks to me uncomfortably.

That chair looks absolutely painful.

Pain Threshold - It’s probably the most uncomfortable chair in the world.

…

I take it.

Hesitantly, I give a “Thank you.”.

“Awww, Kaede, where’s all that cheerfulness you always have?” Kokichi grins widely.

“Don’t mention it.” The other boy says graciously, as he begins typing on his laptop once again.

“Alright...Moving on to the questions.” Shuichi starts clenching his heart, and gritting his teeth.

Composure - Trying to calm himself down while sitting on that chair.

Authority - Questions will show this kid who’s boss.

“Aren’t you going to ask us how we got in?” I question.

“Kaede, I saw you do that absolutely *ridiculous* jump. So no.” Kokichi starts grinning widely, while giving a thumbs up.

“He was actually quite impressed.” The taller boy mutters.

“Shut up!”

“Wait...how did you see us? There aren’t any windows in here…”

“Shuichi, how do *you* think I saw you?” 

Shuichi seems to go blank again.

“Uh...A camera?”

“No, I just have 10 different servants to come visit me whenever they get new information!”

“He’s lying. It’s the cameras on this.” The other boy starts tapping on the laptop screen.

“You always have to ruin my fun!” Kokichi starts biting his nails.

This is something a kid would do for attention. Ultimate Supreme Leader, huh?

“Why?! Why do you always have to do this?!” Kokichi starts sobbing crocodile tears.

The taller boy just sighs, and goes back to typing.

“So...Kaede, I may or may not have heard a few things about what has happened recently. And I have to say, I’m quite impressed!” Kokichi goes back to normal, like nothing happened.

“What...do you mean?” I ask nervously, while sweating a bit.

“Oh, I’m just talking about the drinking, the car driving, the destruction of the Whirling-In-Rags, and even the degenerate lifestyle you have of playing the piano and not doing anything else!” Kokichi places a finger over his lips.

Conceptualization - Words flow like a river of honey.

I subconsciously grip my arm.

“And...I may have heard a little thing or two of your amnesia too.” Kokichi’s grin grows impossibly wide, as he continues.

Logic - Oh. That’s why.

The blond boy pulls out a brown folder from below the desk.

Perception (Sight) - It’s just a brown folder. You can’t make out what it says.

“You got official Hope’s Peak and RCM documents?!” Shuichi asks, shocked.

“Welllll…Kaede, what do you say? Do you want my help?”

Drama - Don’t. Do some probing first.

Drama (Success) \- As you look at the folder, the boy quickly covers it with his hand. He’s trying to hide something. 

“That’s...not an RCM folder. Or a Hope’s Peak one, is it?” I accuse, pointing at the folder.

“Alright, fineeee. You’re right.” Kokichi gives it up.

“Told you.” The blond boy mutters.

“This is a file that just has a printed copy of what you can find on your Monopad.” Kokichi takes the folder from the taller boy and places it on the table.

Shuichi takes the piece of paper out, and nods.

“He’s telling the truth.” Shuichi puts the piece of paper back into the folder and passes it to Kokichi.

“Still, I can’t believe you fell for that lie, Shuichi. Aren’t you the Ultimate Detective?” Kokichi starts grinning, and crosses his arms behind his head. 

Shuichi looks down in shame.

I pat his shoulder comfortingly.

“What a shame. I really wanted the Ultimate Pianist in my crew!” Kokichi’s eyes start sparkling.

“Just kidding! Like I would invite *you* to DICE! That was a lie!”

Geez, this kid...

“Now, anything else?” The taller boy asks.

Inland Empire - A pity. Looks like the mystery of *you* will remain a mystery. Hopefully forever.

“What about the hanging?” Shuichi asks.

“Nishishi~ I was hoping you would ask about that. After all, that is why both my precious Shumai and the Class Representative are here.” Kokichi smiles.

“My precious Shumai?!” Shuichi raises both his hands in shock.

Shuichi is pretty easy to tease, huh?

Suggestion - His suggestive skills must be quite terrible.

“What? Kaito already has his Maki Roll nickname for his girlfriend, why can’t I have one for *my* boyfriend?”

“Huh?! What?!” Shuichi starts breaking down.

“Shuichi, calm down. He’s just teasing you.”

Suggestion (Success) \- “After all, you already have me!” I smile. 

Kokichi starts staring you down.

Authority - Stare back!

Authority (Success) \- He blinks. 

“Alright, fine, you can keep him.” Kokichi looks down towards the ground, with exaggerated sadness.

Empathy - Or is it? It looks genuine to me.

Authority - You’ve asserted yourself! Job well done, Officer!

“But don’t forget! I will always have his heart!” Kokichi places his index finger over his lips again…

Wait, what?!

His face turned black...and his hair turned white…

Perception (Sight) (Failed) - What...the hell? It’s a trick of the eye. Probably. I don’t know how he’s doing it though.

“But...moving back on topic…” The blond boy says quietly.

“We might actually be able to help you with your case. But...we don’t give favours out for free to anyone, Miss Akamatsu. Other than the money we gave you earlier.” He turns to me from the laptop.

“Because even friends don’t share *everything* with each other!” Kokichi chimes in.

“I mean, it’s no secret that the lynching in the courtyard was probably connected to the worker’s strike right now.” The blond boy continues.

The worker’s strike?

Logic - Remember the ‘protest’ down there?

Oh! That makes sense.

“And we’re probably the first people you should talk to.”

“But?”

“But we need help with a...certain something. We know the police are door-opening machines. So. All we need is for you to open a door for us.”

“Shuichi? What do you think?”

Shuichi is still sinking into the chair, and quickly sits up straight.

“Huh? Ah...I suppose it’s an alright idea.”

Drama - He’s lying.

“...No.” I state firmly.

“Seeeee? Told you Kaede’s a party pooper.” Kokichi leans back into his chair...or fake throne.

The blond boy sighs.

“Alright. If you change your mind, you’re free to see us again.”

Shuichi sighs.

Esprit De Corps - This might be the only way to get to the truth, he thinks.

Empathy - It’s a sigh that sounds frustrated, but there’s a slight hint of relief.

As Shuichi starts to stand up…

“Shumai! Are you sure you two want to walk out without this?” Kokichi holds up a purple keycard, with “DICE” written on top.

“Ah...we need that to leave, do we?”

“Come back anytime, if you change your mind about Kaede!” Kokichi winks at Shuichi.

You wish.

Shuichi grabs the keycard, and we quickly walked down the pallets...

Perception (Hearing) (Success) \- “You don’t know how hard it was trying to act all polite and gracious.” 

“Don’t worry, it’ll be worth it in the end! Trust me!”

“Man, you can be so childish sometimes.”

“I’m a teenager, so obviously I’m immature! Instead, you should act *your* age for once!”

“Don’t you think you went a bit too far with the teasing?”

“Nah, it’s fine.”

“I swear, one day you’re actually going to fall for that detective.”

“Who’s to say I haven’t already?”

“What?”

“Just kidding! That was a lie.”

Logic - What reason would the blond boy have to put up an act? Something’s wrong here. 

You’re right. Let’s think this through later.

I take out my Monopad from my bag, and decide to look at the Journal menu.

Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
<strike>Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
</strike> Find out the identity of the woman killed.  
Find out who killed the woman.  
<strike>Name the case.  
</strike> Type up a summary of the case.

As I read through the Journal, I cross out “Inspect the body”, and new entries are added. I cross out some of the new ones that were already completed.

Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
<strike>Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
Start the Initial Interviews, first starting with Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.  
</strike> Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.  
Find out the identity of the woman killed.  
Find out who killed the woman.  
<strike>Name the case.  
</strike> Type up a summary of the case.

3:10 PM

As we walk out the container, we notice a person sitting on the end of a container, dangling his legs off a container.

A tall, skinny man with silky white hair, wearing a green zipper coat and a white t-shirt inside.

I give a slight wave, but the man just smiles back.

While walking…

“Hey, Shuichi? Where are we going?”

“Ah, I saw a door back at where you did that jump. I think we should be able to get out from there.”

As we walk past the cargo containers, my eyes hover over the cargo container controls.

…

Inland Empire (Success) - Something’s in there, by the way. 

Inland Empire - Something...strange, to say the least.

In the cargo container?

Inland Empire - Yes.

...Well, I’m sure Kokichi won’t mind if I mess with a cargo container or two, right?

Approaching the control panel, I press *Allumer*.

Encyclopedia - On.

With a loud grinding noise, the metal container moves through the air, and starts the approaching the ground.

The crane places the container down, with an explosive, but quiet, *thunk!* .

Interfacing - The harbour sleeps. The strike rages. The crane can rest.

What does that mean?

Interfacing - Moving this container was its purpose. It has completed its purpose. So it will rest.

...Why do all of you have to be so cryptic?

Logic - I’m not cryptic.

Encyclopedia - Neither am I.

Volition - That’s because if either of you were, we might have a problem with...you know, doing anything that requires thinking.

“Kaede, you think the container has something important?”

I nod.

“Well, your gut feelings got us this far...”

Walking up to the container, I knock on the door.

No reply.

Perception (Hearing) (Success) - Hollow ring. Doesn’t *sound* like there’s anything inside the container.

I try to turn the handle.

The doors are mechanically locked.

Esprit De Corps - Shuichi seems slightly perplexed by you.

“Well, I suppose there’s nothing important in there. My knock gave off a hollow ring, so there doesn’t seem to be anything inside.”

Shuichi nods, and we start walking back.

As we approach the balcony facing the courtyard, I notice that he’s right. To the right of where I jumped, there was a door that led into the building.

I pull on the handle, and push it in.

We come to a fairly plain, furnished room, with green carpets on the ground.

On the left, there is a radio that is emitting white noise, and next to that, a comfortable chair. On the right, there’s a payphone that costs 10 cents to use.

With a few cupboards here and there.

There are also some office file cabinets, though they are locked.

Perception (Sight) - Actually, someone has forgotten to close one of the drawers properly.

“Ah, we should try to see what’s in there.” Shuichi suggests.

I slowly open the drawers, and see well-organized brown folders.

I start browsing through them.

Hundreds of documents.

Logistical data, materials and people available for pranks.

Anything interesting?

Volition (Success) - Whatever’s here is hidden well. Only a trained accountant would be able to make sense of it. However, there’s a handwritten note on the side of the drawer.

A list of people?

Remember, DICE members!  
<strike>Kaede Akamatsu  
</strike> Shuichi Saihara  
Monaca Towa  
<strike>Celestia Ludenberg  
</strike> Byakuya Togami  
Rantaro Amami  
<strike>Gonta Gokuhara  
Korekiyo Shinguji</strike>

This is the list for this week’s people!

“Shuichi, a note.”

Shuichi looks over my shoulder.

“Nothing incriminating...just a list of names.”

Logic - Perhaps a list of people to...prank?

“Maybe it’s a list of people to prank by the end of this week?”

“Ah, well, knowing DICE, it could be anything.”

I close the drawer.

Looking behind me, I notice a small desk, with an old *Dewy* laptop and a strike poster.

With all that looked through, we look around for an exit, and find a door next to the desk.

We pull on the handle and walk through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even with the amount of time I spent on this chapter, gotta admit, still kind of dislike how Kokichi and Kaede sound. I don't know if that's just me.


	11. Nekomaru Nidai and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Huh? Please put me down…” Shuichi grips on his cap.

3:50 PM

I walk straight through...into the door.

“Ow.” My nose is a little bruised, I think.

Pain Threshold - You’re fine.

“Are you alright?” Shuichi asks worriedly.

I give a simple nod in response.

“We need this, remember?” He smiles, holding up the keycard.

He taps the card on the card reader, and pushes the door open.

We come to a walkway, with stairs leading down into the ‘protest’.

“Kaede, we should...avoid there for now. Just in case.”

Instead of walking down the stairs, we follow the path on the walkway, and see a tall, young woman with tanned skin and brown hair fighting an *insanely* tall and muscular man, wearing a jacket.

“Make sure you understand the basics! Your fundamentals are important! You’ll *always* be weak if you just keep relying on your instinct like that!” The man shouts boisterously.

“Shut up! All I gotta do is win, right? Who needs things like *basics*?!”

Wh-What’s with these two?! I swear, I can actually see electricity in the man’s eyes! 

The woman isn’t much better, her hair’s spiking up all of a sudden and there’s even a black aura around her now!

“Uh...Kaede, I...think we need to leave.” Shuichi suggests nervously.

Physical Instrument - No! We must witness this fight!

Logic - It’s likely that they’re members of DICE, too. We can question them for important information.

“I think...we should stay, Shuichi.”

“Ah...well, if that’s what you think is best…”

Empathy - He feels that this...isn’t the best course of action right now.

“Shuichi, I’m not crazy, right?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Inland Empire - You might be. You’re talking to yourself in your head constantly, after all.

“Basics are the foundation for everything! If you don’t pick them up, you’ll always be second-rate!” The man yells loudly.

The man punches the woman in the gut, with electricity pouring out of his fist.

The woman keels over.

Authority - Okay, that’s far enough. You’re currently taking the role of a *police officer*. Act like one!

Authority (Success) \- “Guys, calm down! Why are you guys fighting?!” 

“You call that a fight?” The man points at you with his right hand.

“This isn’t a real fight, we’re training!” 

“Training?”

Electricity continuously pours out of his eyes, as he starts scratching his nose, almost picking it.

“I’m just a team manager, there’s no way I would be able to fight for real!”

“Gh...” The woman starts picking herself up.

“Ah...Are you alright?” Shuichi asks.

“She’s not so weak that she would be killed by that weak blow.” The man starts picking his ear.

“Coach, it’s been more than four years! Can’t you just let me win once?”

“As I said, you need to work on your basics! You’ll never become a true athlete if you keep relying on your instincts!”

“Damn it…”

“If you understand what I said, I’ll let you fight me again tomorrow.”

“I won’t give up till I beat ya, Coach!”

The woman walks away, and jumps down the railing.

What was that about?

This guy looks scary...he’s so tall and muscular.

“Um...Excuse me?”

“Hmm…? Oh, that’s right...I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name…”

“Is NEKOMARU NIDAI!!! THE ULTIMATE TEAM MANAGER!!!” He yells loudly, while cracking his fists.

Encyclopedia - Nekomaru Nidai. The Ultimate Team Manager of Class 77-B, he is a vigorous, boisterous and passionate man who supports athletes. He’s travelled to multiple towns, managed various sport clubs, and rescued multiple clubs.

He’s just a team manager? With that build, he might as well be playing on a team!

“U-Uh...I’m Akamatsu Kaede. The Ultimate Pianist of Class 130.” I say, sweating a little.

“Ah...I’m Shuichi Saihara...They call me the Ultimate Detective.” Shuichi starts sweating as well.

“Hold it!”

“Huh?”

“Both of you are too soft! Let your voice out from the bottom of your stomach!”

Authority (Failed) - He’s too strong and overbearing!

“I-I’m Akamatsu Kaede! The Ultimate Pianist!” I yell.

“Shuichi Saihara! The Ultimate Detective!”

“I AM NEKOMARU NIDAI! THE ULTIMATE TEAM MANAGER, NEKOMARU NIDAI!”

What’s with this guy?!

“Gah-haha! I hope you don’t forget it!” He rubs the back of his head.

“Wait…” Nekomaru crosses his arms, and starts sweating anxiously.

“Kaede, have you been drinking?” He asks, shocked.

“Huh?”

“I can smell it on your breath...the horrible stench...of alcohol!”

I turn to Shuichi.

“Is it...that bad?”

Shuichi awkwardly nods.

“Ah...it’s...not good.”

Perception (Smell) - You smell your breath. It’s like a rat crawled into your stomach, got drunk and then drowned.

Ugh...why did you have to put that in my head?

“Ah...I was drinking over the last few days…”

Nekomaru starts tearing up.

“You can’t ruin your body like that!”

Empathy - There’s...an urgency in his voice. Almost like he has personal experience that he’s scared you’re falling into.

“Or else there might be a time that you know you *gotta* go, but you can’t...It would totally shame YOUUUUUUU!”

He’s...not talking about what I think he is, is he?

Rhetoric - Unfortunately, he is.

Encyclopedia - It is indeed well known that he suffers from ‘indigestion’. Something excessive drinking will cause.

Empathy - No...there’s something deeper in his tone. It’s not just that.

“Just...stop drinking, would you? It would shame me as a team manager if you didn't STOPPPPPPP!” He yells.

“Ah...alright…” I say awkwardly.

He looks scary, but he really cares, doesn’t he?

THOUGHT COMPLETE 

Shuichi’s Shot

_‘For the rest of the world, shooting a gun is just something *cool and fun*. Not for the Ultimate Detective, Shuichi Saihara. He scored the highest in his firearms classes in his detective training, but he never found it cool or interesting. Just something a detective had to learn to survive. And in this case, the training came in handy.’_

+1 Empathy when interacting with Shuichi Saihara.  
+1 Esprit De Corps  
+1 Hand/Eye Coordination

What? What’s this about?

Volition - This is strange…

Inland Empire - So she finally got that, huh? I agree.

Hmmm…

“A-ah! Hey, wait a min-” Shuichi’s voice brings me out of my thinking.

When I come back to the real world, I see Nekomaru lifting Shuichi up and massaging his body.

“Hmm…Seems I was right. I don’t think you would become a good athlete if you trained yourself…”

“Huh? Please put me down…” Shuichi grips on his cap.

“Whoa?! What’s going on?”

“...You were born with bad bone structure, and you’ve been skipping too many meals. Your muscle mass needs to be bulked up, and we need to change your diet...”

“Wh-What are you talking about?” Shuichi asks.

“I’m talking about you, obviously.”

“What?” 

“I’m the Ultimate Team Manager, remember? It’s my job to find athletes and to help them figure out what they want to become.”

“Well...then I’m not really your first priority, am I?” Shuichi says awkwardly.

“Wrong! Even if you’re not an athlete, we need to get you into proper shape! If you ever come back to Martinaise, make sure to see me! I’ll get a proper diet and exercise plan set up for you, Gah-haha!” Nekomaru laughs, rubbing the back of his head.

“Ah...alright…” Shuichi looks away.

Nekomaru carefully puts Shuichi down onto the ground again, and Shuichi breathes a sigh of relief.

“Mr. Nidai, we have a few questions for you.” Shuichi brushed his clothes.

“Nekomaru is fine!”

“Ah...Nekomaru, what are you doing up here?”

“Kokichi requested that I stand in front of this yellow button.” Nekomaru points to a button behind him.

“Apparently, it unlocks the door that leads into the Industrial Harbour.”

“Well...why are you helping Kokichi?”

“...He also said they needed a bit of help with a sport that DICE were playing, and I might as well help him with this while waiting, so I just agreed.”

“Kokichi and his lies…” Shuichi mumbles.

“Do you know about the murder that occured quite recently in the courtyard of the Whirling-In-Rags?”

“...The small girl. I still feel bad for her...” Nekomaru clenches his right fist, and starts tearing up a bit...

“Ah...If we find anything...I’ll be sure to inform you first.”  
Esprit De Corps - Don’t worry, he will.

“Did anything strange happen in the timeframe of 23 November to 1 December?”

“In fact, yes. A little past midnight on 28 November, I heard shouting from the Whirling-In-Rags.”

“Shouting…?”

“Yes. I think it was two females arguing about something? Then I heard a car engine start. Normally, I wouldn’t say anything about this, as it’s relatively normal for this part of the world, but…”

“But?”

“Rumor is...both the girls went missing. I talked about it with Kokichi, but he didn't tell me anything. We do know that two women went missing recently, though I can’t remember their exact names.”

“...28 November. Got it.”

A vibration from my bag grabs my attention. 

Perception (Hearing) - It's your monopad. 

I quickly unzip my bag and pull out my Monopad. 

‘Nekomaru’s Account has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad.’

Nekomaru’s Account - A little past midnight, on the 28th of November, Nekomaru heard shouting from the Whirling-In-Rags. Two females were arguing, until a car engine started, which drove away. Local rumors suggest that both the women were kill missing, as two females were recently reported missing.

“Thank you. You’ve been a great help.” Shuichi grips on his cap.

“Ga-haha! Anytime!”

“No, seriously, Nekomaru. Thanks!” I smile.

4:17 PM

Shuichi and I look down from the walkway above the ‘protest’. Seeing no other way down, we decide to just go down the stairs.

After walking down the first flight...

Leaning on a wall, we see a tall man with long hair, with a dark green uniform. He has a mask, covering his mouth as well as his neck, with a zipper at the mouth area.

He’s also wearing a train-conductor like cap.

This guy...looks like a total creep.

“Kiyo? What are you doing here?” Shuichi says nervously.

“Ah, Shuichi and Kaede. I’m currently in Martinaise for some...field work. After all, I have told you both from time to time that I find…even the *ugliest* parts of Humanity to be beautiful.”

…’Kiyo’ starts...touching his shoulder and hip with his hands.

So he doesn’t just *look* like a total creep...as it turns out, he *is* a total creep.

He starts muttering to himself, while looking down.

Perception (Hearing) (Success) \- “...This might be the perfect time to execute my plan…” 

Umm…I...don’t think that’s good.

I stand behind Shuichi, and start pulling on his sleeve.

“Ah…What is it?” Shuichi looks behind him.

I urgently point to the courtyard, with an anxious expression.

“Ah, sorry, Kiyo. We should get going.” Shuichi says urgently.

The man nods.

“Kekehehe...I look forward to seeing you two again.”

We quickly walked down the next flight of stairs.

As we reach the bottom, the man Shuichi called ‘Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu’ approaches us.

With a closer look, I notice that he’s actually wearing a two piece suit, with a dark jacket.

“Bastards. You two with them?” The man points towards the Industrial Harbour.

“Uh...Nope! We-We’re just...students sent by Hope’s Peak to investigate a case.” I quickly spout out, stuttering all the while.

“Huh. Really.” He looks away.

Perception (Sight) - He has pretty feminine eyelashes. And a…*baby face*.

Rhetoric - Don’t bring *that* up. He’s probably self-conscious of it, especially if he’s the *Ultimate Yakuza*.

“So both of you are RCM, huh? You stay out of my business, I stay out of yours.” He says, crossing his arms.

“Ah, wait! Mr. Kuzuryu, would you mind if we asked for your testimony on the current situation?” Shuichi quickly asks.

“...Make it quick.” The man responds coldly.

Rhetoric - There’s a slight hint of frustration in his voice.

“Ah...I’ll try.” 

“What are you doing here?”

“Look around. What do you think?”

Perception (Sight) (Success) - Protest signs. They’re all variations of ‘RIGHT TO WORK’ , ‘GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT’, ‘LET ME FEED MY FAMILY’.

Perception (Hearing) (Success) \- “You don’t even know what work means!” “I’m in debt!”. 

Logic - Wait, if this was a strike...why are they asking for a *right to work*? Actually, who is the *you* in this context?

“You’re leading a strike?” Shuichi asks.

“No, dumbass. *These* people…” Fuyuhiko points behind him.

“Are ‘scabs’.”

Encyclopedia - In this context, scab means someone who replaces a union member during a strike.

Oh. So these people are asking for work while the other people are on strike. Makes sense.

“So...these are strikebreakers?” I ask.

“If you want to say that, yes. These are honest men and women who *do* want to work. So if those union bastards don’t want to work, they should let *us* in.” 

Logic - Something’s not right. 

You don’t say...What’s a yakuza member doing leading a *strikebreaker* protest?

Authority - Why do they follow this man in the first place?

“Do you know anything about the murder that took place in the courtyard of the Whirling-In-Rags?” Shuichi asks.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - The man’s face darkens, and his eyes swirl a bit, but he goes back to normal quickly.

“No.”

Drama (Success) - A lie, Sir- Apologies, Madame.

“Are you...lying to us?” I say hesitantly, while gripping my arm.

“What do you mean ‘are you lying to us’?! Don’t fuck with me!”  
Fuyuhiko clenches his left fist.

Reaction Speed - You’ve been talking to him for a while now. Something is off with this guy. Ask him where he’s from.

Rhetoric - That is a *very bad* idea and you know it.

Ugh...How do we get anything out of this guy?

Rhetoric - You don’t. He’s stonewalling you. You might as well not talk to him.

“Shuichi, we should go.”

“Ah...you think so?”

I nod.

*Brrrr* *Brrr*

Perception (Hearing) (Success) - Shuichi’s phone is vibrating in your bag.

I unzip the bag, and read the contact.

‘Kaito Momota’

That list of people that went missing...I hope it gave us a clue.

I pass the phone to Shuichi.

“Hey...Kaito.”

“Ah...You got the list from Miss Yukizome?”

Shuichi’s eyes widen.

“Okay. I think I have a lead now. Thanks, Kaito.”

Shuichi hangs up.

“...Kaede.” Shuichi points to the Whirling-In-Rags.

“We should get going.”

I nod.

When Fuyuhiko is out of earshot…

“Kaede...I believe...we’ve identified the victim.”

“What? Already?”

"Natsumi Kuzuryu."


	12. Chihiro Fujisaki and Angie Yonaga

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kaede...you have lost your memories. Or so says Atua.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, this chapter took way too long to make because I'm dumb and forgot the html stuff.  
Also, a spoiler for 1-2 of Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter. (Regardless of how rushed dialogue sounds.)

“Natsumi Kuzuryu…” I mutter under my breath, as we continue walking.

Shuichi looks at me worriedly.

“Kaede...are you alright? You’ve been repeating that name for the past two minutes.”

“Ah! It's just...I have a twin sister as well, and the fact that Fuyuhiko had to go through losing his sibling just...kind of saddens me.”

Empathy - It’s not just that. You worry for your *own* sister as well.

“Ah...don’t let it get to you, alright?” Shuichi says awkwardly.

I nod silently.

“Alright! Let’s keep going. What’s next?” I ask.

I take out my Monopad and find the Journal menu.  
Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
<strike>Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
Start the Initial Interviews, first starting with Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.  
</strike> Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.  
<strike>Find out the identity of the woman killed.  
Find out who killed the woman.  
Name the case.  
</strike> Type up a summary of the case.  
I cross out ‘Find out the identity of the woman killed’.  
Logic - Weird way of saying “Identify the victim”.

Any new ones pop up?  
Perception (Sight) - Nope.

Logic - Wait! Cross out the ‘Interview Taeko Yasuhiro’ one.  
Hmmm? 

Logic - Remember? We figured out that they were both the same person.

Oh! Right! Celestia Ludenberg and Taeko Yasuhiro. Good job, brain!

Logic - Hmm.

Empathy - He’s proud. He’s just too embarrassed to say it.

<strike>Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
Start the Initial Interviews, first starting with Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.  
</strike> Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.  
<strike>Find out the identity of the woman killed.  
Find out who killed the woman.  
Name the case.  
</strike> Type up a summary of the case.

“So next on the list is...interviewing Rantaro Amami.”

“Oh, Rantaro? It’ll be nice to talk to someone normal.” Shuichi sighs, relieved.

“You know him?”

“He’s from Class 129. Ultimate Adventurer. He came to me to help him with his problem with...retrograde amnesia, I believe.”

Shuichi looks at me awkwardly.

“Ah, the same problem you’re having now, huh?”

“Really?! How did he get his memories back?” I ask quickly.

“...” Shuichi pauses for a second.

“He...got a reminder, I suppose.”

Rhetoric - He doesn’t seem very sure about this answer.

Empathy - You probably shouldn’t push too hard on this.

“Well, I suppose we can ask him later, right?” I suggest.

Shuichi nods.

“He’ll probably be at the harbour...we should get going.”

I press the back button on my Monopad, and look at the map.

“So since we’re here…” I point to the Whirling-In-Rags building.

“The harbour should be...north-west of here.” I point to the left.

Shuichi nods. 

“Let’s get going then.”

4:30 PM

Conceptualization - It’s so boring here!

Well, what do you want me to do about it? It’s not like I can-

Conceptualization - Hum a tune!

...Fine.

I start humming a small tune.

Encyclopedia (Failed) - No idea where that’s from, in all honesty.

So I’m just making up the song as I go?

Encyclopedia - Probably, yes.

While walking past the cracks on the ground…

“A mail collection box…” I mutter.

‘Poste L’Aventurier’. Vandalized with graffiti. Two bullet holes in the front of the box.

“Isn’t this...a bit too old-fashioned? I mean, we already have our Monopads and phones, don’t we?” I pat the top of the box.

“Ah...that’s for DICE, I believe.” Shuichi points at the Industrial Harbour.

“They sometimes use this to send letters as a prank, or use it to get signatures for petitions or...their less…’tasteful’ pranks.”

Perception (Sight) - A faint sticker on the side of the box reads ‘RCM Emergencies Desk no. 8-100-2’.

‘Mankind, be vigilant!”

Wasn’t the body reported late? What’s the point of this? Well, whatever.

Physical Instrument - Slap the box!

What’s wrong with you?! Just leave me alone.

Physical Instrument - DO IT, WOMAN!

Authority (Failed) - You’re an officer. You can handle slapping a box.

I slap the mail collection box.

Perception (Hearing) - There is a hollow, saddened ring.  
Inland Empire - It sounds betrayed. Maybe even in disbelief.

Pain Threshold (Failed) - Your palm has suffered damage! IT HURTS!

Shuichi looks at me, once again, perplexed.

“Kaede, are you alright?” He looks at the palm of your hand, which has reddened intensely and is...slightly bruised.

Perception (Hearing) (Success) - You hear a *ting!* sound on the ground.

I look down.

2 Monocoins obtained!

What is this...monopoly money?

Inland Empire - It’s so much more than that! 

My god. Whatever. 

I pocket the coins and start walking away.

“Hey, Shuichi! If you’re too slow, I’ll just leave you behind!”

I look behind me, and see Shuichi lightly patting the box on the head, before jogging up behind me.

On my right, I see a bookshop.

Outside, it has books on display, on wooden stands.

The books range from ‘Man from Hjelmdall and the Wild Fire’, which I don’t even think I need to describe, and ‘Dick Mullen solves the case again!’

Conceptualization - They’re all pretty bad.

In front of the door leading into the bookstore, is a girl with light brown hair that is layered and a green jacket. She’s also wearing what seems to be jeans, along with stockings.

She’s so cute!

Composure (Success) - Keep up the poker face.

“Hey there, Chihiro!” Shuichi smiles, and waves.

“Ah, Shuichi! How are you doing?” The girl asks, smiling.

She turns to me.

“It’s nice to see you too, Kaede!”

Oh, I’m supposed to know this person. That’s never good.

Inland Empire - Yeah, because they can remember what you’ve done.

What? No! Because they can tell when I’m lying, and I just make more people worry.

“Hi.” I saw awkwardly, giving a small wave.

“Ah, sorry, Chihiro, but Kaede here...lost her memories.” Shuichi quickly says.

“Huh? Really?” The girl seems to tear up a bit, but calms down.

“So she can’t remember that…”

“Unfortunately, no.”

Perception (Hearing) (Success)  \- “And she was the one who encouraged me the most too…” 

Logic - Encouraged you to do what?

Drama (Success) - Something’s off with the way the woman is moving…

Drama - I got it, Madame!

Hopefully you got nothing bad…

Rhetoric - It’s debatable.

Drama - It’s a tale as old as time...Madame, this dame is actually a sir!

WHAT?!

Composure (Success) - Hey, people cross-dress like that all the time! Don’t worry about it. 

I’m pretty worried about it.

Composure - Just stay calm. Ask questions.

“So, Chihiro, what are you doing here?” I ask, slightly sweating.

“Ah, I’m helping out Toko with her bookstore. She’s been writing a lot lately, so she needed a break!” 

“Really? That’s so nice of you!” I place my hands behind my back and smile.

“You think so?” The boy blushes a bit.

“It was nice seeing you two again, even if Kaede doesn’t remember anything…” He looks down slightly.

Empathy - Disappointment.

Drama (Success) \- “Hey, it’s alright. I’m still the same old, Kaede, after all!” I smile. 

"Though I don't think the bookstore is the main reason why Toko came here..." Chihiro says awkwardly, sweating a bit.

“Kaede...time isn’t on our side right now…” Shuichi chimes in awkwardly, looking at his Monopad.

4:40 PM

“Bye, Chihiro!”

“We'll see you later.” Shuichi and I wave.

He waves back with a smile. "Come back again!"

We start walking towards the harbour, going down a set of stairs on our left, and following the path.

“Who was that? And why does he dress like a girl?” I ask Shuichi.

Shuichi seems slightly surprised.

“Chihiro Fujisaki. The Ultimate Programmer of Class 78.”

“...I have to admit, I’m surprised you noticed, Kaede.” Shuichi grips on his cap again.

“That she was actually a he?”

“Yeah...It took me talking to Alter Ego in order to figure it out.” Shuichi recounts.

As we continue walking, we notice a lamp with signs.

Pointing to our west, is ‘Roundabout North’.

Pointing North is ‘Capeside Apartments, Martinaise Harbour.’

Hmmm…

On our left, we see benches, and railings that look toward the ocean.

There’s two coin-operated viewers.

I look at the one facing South-West. 

Perception (Sight) - Its coin-slot is full of bubblegum, rendering the machine useless.

Interfacing - A simple but clever solution to ruining a coin-operated viewer.

“Vandalism…” I shake my head.

I look inside.

A thick layer of graffiti covers the lenses. 

Perception (Sight) - Under the graffito...a sea of blues and greys appear.

Behind the water lies a coast. Studded with concrete and reeds. On it -- a church on stilts, lanky planks and an x-shaped cross topping the church tower.

Inland Empire - The church looks old. There are no lights in the windows.

Perception (Sight) - Around the wooden building is chunks of sea ice.

Perception (Sight) - A small tent is set up on the ice.

I look at the other coin-operated viewer.

This one is facing south.

The instructions say to insert twenty five yen, and pull on the handle while looking inside. Adjust the knob to focus the view and zoom in.

I insert a coin.

A clunk, the ring of metal…

I pull on the handle, and look inside, leaning in to catch the view.

It’s blurry.

I turn the knob.

The lenses shift. The ghost sharpens into an islet in the bay. In the ruins, a man-made structure is visible.

It looks abandoned quite some time ago. A lonely birch tree grows out of it.

Empathy - Its leaves ripped from it by the winter wind.

…

“Hang in there…”

The birch tree seems to wave back.

“Shuichi, there’s ruins of a building there…” I point towards the sea-fort.

“Ah...really? I can’t make it out from here…” Shuichi tries to refocus his eyes by rubbing them.

“It’s alright. Let’s get going.”

I put away the machine, and continue walking north to the harbour.

While walking past a store, we walk over some rickety wooden planks and continue walking past the collapsing buildings.

Until we come to a trail of gas on the ground, approaching the ‘Capeside Apartments’.

On the right, I see an alley, with a wall that has been touched by the gas. The person that spilled the trail of gas from the ‘Capeside Apartments’ were using it as paint - putting a mural on the wall.

Conceptualization - It has not been ‘touched’ by the gas. It has been bettered.

Looking straight up, I see a tanned young woman on the balcony, with white...or I suppose, whitish-blonde hair. Her hair is tied into ponytails, and she’s wearing a yellow smock that only covers her arms and shoulders.

Underneath, she’s wearing frilly undergarments.

“Nyahaha! How divine to run into you two here!” The girl smiles with closed eyes, interlocking both her hands.

“Ah, Angie. How are you?” Shuichi inquires.

Perception (Hearing) (Success) \- “I must make a sacrifice to Atua for this divine meeting - maybe a pint from Shuichi or Kaede will be enough?” The girl mutters. 

A pint of what? Actually, nevermind. I don’t want to know.

“Hmmm?” The girl places both her hands above her head, as if she’s praying.

“Kaede...you have lost your memories. Or so says Atua.” 

“Wait, what?”

Atua?

Encyclopedia (Success) - Atua is the supposed god of Angie’s island. Though most speculate that it’s a manipulation tactic.

Logic - Maybe her Atua...is us. Voices in one’s head.

“Is it true? Is it?” The girl starts moving side to side on the balcony.

“Umm...yes.” I say awkwardly, slightly sweating at this point.

“Nyahaha! Atua is correct again!”

She seems almost ecstatic that her ‘god’ was correct.

“Yah-hah! How are ya? I’m Angie Yonaga, the Ultimate Artist!”

She’s pretty cheerful. Maybe...a bit too cheerful.

“What?”

“You lost your memories, did you not? So I introduced myself!”

“Ah...Angie, if you have the time, can we ask you a few questions?” Shuichi asks politely, trying to steer the conversation the same way he did for Chihiro’s.

“Nyahaha! Go ahead!”

“Do you know anything about the recent murder?”

Angie goes into deep thought.

“Hmm….Nope!”

“Well...nevermind then.”

“Angie, what are you doing to the wall in that alley?” I point behind me.

“Atua wants me to paint there! He’s planning on a beautiful mural…”

“Really? I love public art displays like that! Can I see it when it’s done?”

“Sure! Atua says it’s okay to let you see it when it’s done, but not before!”

Perception (Sight) - She keeps looking away from you...she’s looking at...what?

Rhetoric - You should ask. She's not one to withhold information that you *notice*.

“Angie, why do you keep looking off to the side?”

“Atua told me to keep an eye on that boy over there.” Angie points towards the pier.

A boat has been docked, and on it, a good-looking boy with green curly hair.

The man on the dock does not notice Angie staring.

“Who is that?” I ask.

“Rantaro Amami. The Ultimate Adventurer...and Hope Peak Academy's representative.” Shuichi states.

“We should talk to him, Kaede.”

I give a silent nod.

“Well, we’ll see you later, Angie.”

“Shuichi! Atua says you better come back soon! Or else your family will be cursed for *generations*!”

Is that a threat?

“A-Ah! I’ll...think about it.” Shuichi responds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have forced Atua a bit too much in Angie's dialogue, but ehhh, I tried.
> 
> This is one of the worse chapters so far in my opinion, as the conversations sound *insanely* rushed. The next chapter with Rantaro will hopefully sound better.


	13. Rantaro Amami

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh man, I sure sound like a spoiled brat now…never good for first impressions.” He scratches the back of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit more boring than the others, but I still hope you enjoy it! And before I forget, Happy Holidays!

4:47 PM

As we walk away, I notice how dull the place looks.

Perception (Sight) - The ‘Capeside Apartments’ are a dull grey concrete, with a garage and an orange door, as well as yellow tarp which covers the top of the garage. There are smaller boats around as well, and also things that were halfway through construction that look abandoned years ago.

Must be why Angie wants to paint that mural...

We start walking down some stairs that lead to the pier.

THOUGHT COMPLETE

The Togami Corporation

_Byakuya Togami. Ultimate Affluent Progeny. Arrogant and serious, but also extremely successful. He’s cold. He’s blunt. But that’s what makes him so successful and cool. However, something’s off. He’s gone through something. He treats you with discontent and annoyance. But he *cares*. He just doesn’t know how to show it. Don’t be too hard on him for his personality. _

-1 Authority when interacting with Byakuya Togami  
+1 Encyclopedia  
+1 Rhetoric  
+1 Empathy

On my right, I notice a sign.

‘Docking reserved for residents’.

We approach the boat, the wooden planks creaking a little every step on the pier.

Looking closer, I notice the boat is much bigger up close, with huge sails.

Visual Calculus - Your room in the Whirling-In-Rags isn’t much bigger than this sloop.

“Hey there, Shuichi. Who did you bring with you?” Rantaro waves, leaning against the cabin top of the boat.

“That sloop is massive!” 

“I suppose it is.”

“How did you afford this thing?”

“Haha, no no, it wasn’t me.” Rantaro pats the cabin top.

“It was my dad. I suppose...you can call me a ‘rich kid’.” He shrugs.

“Oh man, I sure sound like a spoiled brat now…never good for first impressions.” He scratches the back of his head.

“Ah, this is Kaede Akamatsu. Ultimate Pianist.” 

“Ultimate Pianist, huh. I’m Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer.” The man smiles.

He seems...composed.

Composure - Just like Ryoma. These two have seen some things.

“So, you two are the officers the RCM sent. It’s good seeing you, Shuichi. And nice to meet you as well, Kaede.” 

“What gave us away?” Shuichi asks.

“No normal people dress like that in public. Also the rectangles.” Rantaro states.

What rectangles?

Perception (Sight) - You look at Shuichi’s uniform. His shoulders and back are clad in white rectangles that almost look like the base of barcodes.

Logic - Supposedly, you have a white rectangle on your back as well, and some on your shoulders.

“Ah, I suppose we are quite noticeable.” Shuichi looks at your outfit.

“Hey! Pink is an expressive colour!”

Rantaro laughs.

“Though I’m not sure I’ll be able to be much help for both of you.” Rantaro bows his arms, looking down, slightly frustrated.

“I was sent by Hope’s Peak to handle the strike and strikebreakers, not a murder.” 

“Well...could we start by asking you a few questions?” Shuichi asks.

“Sure, though I can’t promise I have the answers.”

“Kaede, you take the lead.”

Shuichi looks at Rantaro.

“Oh, and we...may need a bit more help on something else.”

“I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“First, can you tell us about Hope’s Peak and what they’re doing here?”

“This may get a bit boring, so hold on tight.”

“Hope’s Peak is a school located in Japan. It’s a government-sanctioned private high school. It was founded by a man named ‘Izuru Kamakura’ to develop and research talents of high school students.”

“Students do not participate in entrance exams, but are actually scouted by the school itself.”

“How does Hope’s Peak stay up with costs, then? Cause they want students to go to their school, right? They even scout for them, but I bet it’s expensive.”

Rantaro looks at me worriedly.

“That’s why the school developed a second facility, known as the ‘Reserve Course’ to fund the school’s research. That’s why *you* didn't need to pay. Did you...not notice it?”

Ah, so now I have to tell him that I *forgot* literally everything.

“About that, Rantaro...” Shuichi joins in on the conversation.

“Kaede, here...is suffering from amnesia.”

Rantaro starts sweating, and scratches the back of his head.

“Ah, so that’s what this is about, huh? Have you figured out what type, Shuichi?”

“Ah, we believe it is Retrograde, though it’s also possible that it’s Transient Global. We’re...not quite sure yet.”

“Wait...amnesia’s a bit of a...stretch, isn’t it? I think I’ll remember eventually…” I say, sweating a bit.

“So it’s possible she’s just like me, huh?” 

“It could be hypnosis, maybe brainwashing…” Rantaro’s face darkens.

“That’s a bigger stretch!” I point at Rantaro.

“This isn’t normal…” Shuichi mutters to himself.

“Well, I suppose this is a pretty abnormal situation then.”

“Hey, Kaede. I have a few questions for *you*.” Rantaro crosses his arms.

“Huh? Umm...go ahead.”

Perception (Sight) - The man’s eyes follow your body movement.

“First. Do you know where we are?”

“Revachol?”

“Yes. And Revachol is…?”

“Honestly, I don’t know... What kind of place *is* this?”

“The city that used to rule the world…” Rantaro chuckles.

“That’s what they call this place.”

“Second. What year is it?”

Encyclopedia - ...You don’t know.

“I...don’t know.”

“It’s 2020.” 

Shuichi studies me, covering his mouth with his hand.

Esprit De Corps - How *bad* is this amnesia? I suggested Retrograde, but.... how do you even walk around with holes in your memory like *that*?

“Third question. What is a *billion*?”

Encyclopedia (Failed) - A...billion?

“I...don’t know that either. What *is* a billion?”

“A number. A big one.” Rantaro responds coldly.

“A thousand millions.” Shuichi answers.

“Last question. What regime are we living under? What mode of government?”

Authority - A Cop World.

“Some kind of democracy?”

Rantaro crosses his arms.

“If only. Revachol is a Special Administrative Region, in an alliance with a foreign power known as the Coalition. We have no government of our own.”

“Wait, if there’s no government, how come there’s police like the RCM and us?” I ask.

“There aren’t any *cops* in Revachol, Kaede. The status of law enforcement is...complicated, to say the least.” 

“We should probably stop here.” Shuichi chimes in, gripping the front of his cap.

“Yeah, you’re probably right, Shuichi.” 

“So...how did I do?” I ask.

“Not good.” Rantaro places his thumb under his chin, his face darkening.

“I think your assessment was right, Shuichi. This is Retrograde, but it hits way harder than mine did.”

“How much harder?” I inquire.

Rantaro looks down.

“At least I remembered what a *billion* was.”

“The way I recovered was seeing my sister. You might need something similar. Anything you hold close to your heart?”

Conceptualization (Success) \- “The piano.” 

“Heh, I suppose that’s right. Though I’m quite surprised you remembered your talent. I forgot mine when I had amnesia.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I can help much here.” Rantaro sighs.

Empathy - A sigh of disappointment. 

“It’s fine, Rantaro.” Shuichi comforts.

Drama - Wow, someone’s been a little…*boring*?

What?

Drama - Yes, my *normie* liege. Someone who has seen all sorts of wild ideas pop off, and then thought ‘I’ll pick the *boring* one. The regular, please. The brown.”

What, you’re picking on me for not being *crazy*?

Drama - No need to be defensive. The regularity, the same old and the *cut-and-dry* have an appeal - a *standard* appeal.

I’m sorry I have standards.

Drama - Of course you do. Maybe some *regulations* and a *usual* piano to go with them. It’s official: My lord’s *copotype* is ‘Regular Cop’. I’ll let everyone know. I’ll even send out a *telefax*.

Wait, wait wait, this will be my *copo-type* now? What *is* a copo-type?

Drama - Yes, the type of cop you are, Madame. Think of it as a caste, a *class*, I suppose. A nation of Regular Law Officials. Of course, with the *usual* benefits.

“Shuichi, weird question, but am I *boring*?”

“No. Definitely no.” He says, smiling a bit, looking me up and down.

Drama - I could’ve sworn-

Drama - Apologies, Madame. Maybe I was wrong.

Encyclopedia - I may have a better *copo-type*.

Not now! We’re still with Rantaro and Shuichi.

Encyclopedia - Fine.

“Well, can we ask you a few questions about the current situation?” I ask.

“Sure. Go ahead.”

“What are *you* doing here?”

“What *Hope’s Peak* wants me to do here - is to handle the strike.”

“The Union strike?”

Rantaro nods.

“And what can you tell us about it?”

“A lot.” He states.

“What is your role in this?”

“I’m the…’Senior Labour Negotiator’. That’s what they call me. I relay the Union’s demands to Hope’s Peak, and return with Hope Peak’s counter-offer.”

“Why can’t they just do this over phones?” I ask.

“They want to keep it *classified*, I suppose. Just in case the other side is tapped or something.” Rantaro shrugs.

“Ah, how are the talks going, by the way?” Shuichi asks.

“That’s the problem. They’re *not*. Kokichi stopped giving offers a week ago, after the murder.”

Reaction Speed - Wait! He just admitted the lynching and strike are connected!

“And now, they won’t even let me into the harbour. There’s a 6 foot 4 tall giant with muscles guarding the entrance.”

“Oh, Nekomaru?”

“Yes.”

“He was pretty nice. I think he would let us in if we just asked, honestly.”

“Really?” Rantaro’s eyes darken, and he places his thumb under his chin again.

“I have a feeling Kokichi won’t make it so easy.”

“So...how were the talks going *before* the lynching?”

“Let’s say...it wasn’t working out.”

“How long ago was it when you arrived?”

“Three weeks. Three whole weeks in November of going back and forth between Martinaise and Japan.”

“Wait...but the strike began in September…” Shuichi comments.

“I wasn’t the original representative. The first one was Teruteru Hanamura. Ultimate Cook.”

“What happened to him?”

“Well, he hit a wall after Kokichi refused to speak with him.”

“Why?”

“Well...Teruteru kept hitting on the female members of DICE. As well as Kokichi himself. And everyone else.”

“I mean, I suppose it’s understandable they wouldn’t want to talk to him...”

“Funny part is, they were okay with him for the past two strikes. I guess he went a bit too far this time.”

“What are the Union’s demands?”

“*EVERY WORKER - A MEMBER OF THE BOARD!* were the posters.”

“A...tad bit too unrealistic.”

“And now they’re *lynching* people. Behind the Whirling-In-Rags…” 

“Who did you hear about this from?” Shuichi quickly chimes in.

“From that woman who was taking care of the Whirling-In-Rags yesterday.”

Rhetoric (Success) - Oh, really? Cause that sounds *wrong*. 

Conceptualization (Success) - A sound. A revolver?

Hand-Eye Coordination - A gunshot.

“No, that’s wrong!” 

5:32 PM

I look at Shuichi, who’s tapping on his Monopad.

“Celestia Ludenberg, the woman you speak of, was not at the Whirling-In-Rags yesterday.”

Shuichi taps on ‘Byakuya’s Account’ in his truth bullet section.

“According to Byakuya Togami, the current manager of the Whirling-In-Rags, he took over yesterday. Celestia Ludenberg, had taken a break for the past two days.”

“If you truly heard about it yesterday, you *could not* have heard it from Celestia Ludenberg, or as you phrased it, ‘The woman who was taking care of the Whirling-In-Rags yesterday’.”

Rantaro chuckles.

“I suppose there’s no use trying to cover things up from the Ultimate Detective. Huh, I don’t even know why I tried.”

“Rantaro, why are you lying to us?” I ask.

Rantaro looks off to his right, into the ocean.

“Hope’s Peak wanted me to cover this bit of information up, I’m sorry, but I really can’t tell you much.”

“Is there...any way we can get this information from you?” Shuichi asks.

Suggestion - Hang on. You can negotiate your way out of this one. Hope’s Peak will be open to a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Suggestion (Success) - Just float a favour, first. Insinuate.

“Surely there’s a way to...demonstrate that we can be trusted with this information?” I ask in a strange way.

“I need to be able to justify to Hope’s Peak. You’ll have to give me something very…*tangible*, Kaede.”

Uh...that could’ve...been phrased better.

“...Are you hitting on me?”

Rantaro chuckles awkwardly.

“No, I’m not trying to hit on you. I’m saying that Hope’s Peak will want something that has value to them.”

Suggestion - You’re in, but expect a really hard bargain.

“Like what?”

“Reports from Koichi Kizakura suggest that Terminal B currently has...some items that may be considered...questionable.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sure you two have heard of the Ultimate Despair, right?” Rantaro taps on his head with his index finger.

Encyclopedia (Success) - No idea what they’re talking about.

“The Ultimate Despair? You mean the terrorist organization?” Shuichi inquires.

“The very same.”

“What? But they were-”

Empathy - Rantaro seems to hesitate for a moment. He’s unsure if he should share this information with you.

“A cover up story.”

“What?! So there are terrorists out there that are still part of The Ultimate Despair?” Shuichi’s voice shakes a bit.

“Yes. It is true that Hope’s Peak raided the main base of The Ultimate Despair. But what we *do* know, is that wasn’t all of them.”

“But...that means-” I say anxiously.

“Yes. The Ultimate Despair is alive. And we believe they are *here*.”

“How many?”

“One. Right now, we believe only the founder of Ultimate Despair, who we don’t even know the identity of, is still active.” Rantaro shrugs.

“We’re still missing the founder…”

Rantaro nods.

“And - We believe they are transporting some very dangerous items.” Rantaro crosses his arms again.

“What items, specifically?”

“The Despair Video.”

“I’ve...never heard of that before.” Shuichi covers his mouth with his hand.

“That’s how they brainwashed Class 77-B of Hope’s Peak.”

“And...these videos are being transported to…”

“Jamrock, specifically. We’ve been trying to track it down for *months*.”

“And why do you believe that they are *here*?”

Rantaro raises a finger.

“The *lorries*. I’m sure you’ve seen them.”

“Someone’s moving the videos from Japan into Revachol. Therefore, they’ll need to go through the harbour into the city. Once they reach Jamrock, they are well beyond our grasp, as the video is distributed and the founder builds up The Ultimate Despair more and more until they finally decide to trigger the brainwashing.”

“However, while in transit, they are still vulnerable.”

“...The traffic jam.” Shuichi brings up.

“The lorries there, one of them are holding the videos…”

Shuichi looks at you.

“Kaede, we should go talk to the lorry drivers near the Whirling-In-Rags. They’ll give us something to work with.”

I nod.

“I’ll be explicit: if you find the videos, I’ll share everything I know with you.” Rantaro chimes in.

Perception (Sight) - His irises are light green. Like the river Esperance in bright daylight.

“This explains why I had to call East Motor Tract to open the drawbridge for me.”

“What do you mean, Shuichi?”

Shuichi looks at Rantaro.

“You did ask East Motor Tract to raise the drawbridge, right?”

Rantaro nods.

“This is a limited-time opportunity. You guys have one chance.”

I look at Shuichi.

Esprit De Corps - He’s ready and willing. ‘This is right’ - he thinks.

“We’ll do it.”


	14. The Lorrymen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I thought the detective would read me. Not the pianist.” He smiles.

5:54 PM

Encyclopedia - Ah, I almost forgot! My *copo-type* for you.

I don’t like the sound of this...go ahead.

Encyclopedia - You...you’re the cop that doesn’t know.

What?

Encyclopedia - The cop that has no idea what’s going on here.

What are you talking about?

Encyclopedia - Think back to when you first woke up. How many times did you say *I don’t know* or some kind of variation of it?

Encyclopedia - You know who you are?

Encyclopedia - You’re the *lost* cop.

I...what are you implying?

Inland Empire - You’re somewhere you’re not supposed to be.

Huh?

Inland Empire - You’re lost, Kaede Akamatsu.

What does that mean?

Inland Empire - You’ll find out eventually. And you’ll know. That you’re lost.

“The brainwashing of Class 77-B...The Ultimate Despair…”

Shuichi mutters under his breath.

“I’m sorry, Kaede. I shouldn’t have dragged us into this.” Shuichi looks away.

“It’s fine, Shuichi!” I smile, as we continue walking back to the outside of the Whirling-In-Rags.

Logic - Is it, though? We’re getting ourselves into something quite deep.

Logic - Also, doesn’t this mean we’ve met some brainwashed people?

I...suppose so. I’m pretty sure they made something to help them out.

“Alright, where do we start?” I ask.

“Rantaro said there were 3 drivers we were supposed to talk to. Let’s just look around the area for them.” Shuichi suggests.

“Alright. Let’s go, Shuichi!”

As we approach the Chevrolet that Shuichi arrived in, on the right, I notice someone leaning on a large lorry.

“Well, that’s the first person to talk to.”

Oh, it’s the same person that was sitting on the cargo earlier. Green jacket, white hair, and pale skin.

“Ah. It’s you two again…” The man mutters.

On closer inspection, he’s actually quite tall, with messy white hair.

Visual Calculus - About...1.8 metres tall, I would like to say.

The man gives a smile and a wave.

“Hey there, you two. What are you doing here?”

“Ah...that was what we were about to ask you.”

“Well, unfortunately, the drawbridge’s up for some reason, so I'm just waiting for it to be down so I can cross over. Hopefully, they’ll set it up normally soon.” He points towards the sprawl of lorries.

Perception (Smell) - The air from the east is thick with the smell of crude oils, heavy metals and other by-products. You can almost *taste* it.

“The traffic jam has lasted for quite a bit now. The Industrial Harbour is completely shut tight with their ‘workers’ on strike, and the strikebreakers are getting really aggressive.” The man crosses his arms.

“I shouldn’t be so pessimistic. Things will probably go back to normal soon.”

Perception (Hearing) (Success) \- “After bad luck, lies good luck. After bad luck...lies absolute power.” 

“Ah, I’m Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective, and this is Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist. We’ve got a few questions to ask you, if that’s okay.”

“Wait...you two are Hope’s Peak? I thought you were just RCM.” 

“Ah...yes.”

“I knew you two dressed a bit strangely! I used to be from Hope’s Peak, too. I graduated a few years back. Though I have to say, my talent is...kind of disappointing.”

“Disappointing?”

“I’m Nagito Komaeda. The Ultimate Lucky Student.”

“I hope we can get along.” The man smiles.

Empathy - His voice...there’s something behind that *hope*.

He’s quite nice, I suppose.

Logic - Maybe a bit too nice.

Drama - Madame, be cautious.

“Nagito, how long have you been here?” I ask.

“I’m not sure myself. Feels like forever. I would say - a week?”

Empathy - Behind his voice...a touch - of sorrow.

“So, what do both of you need?”

I look at Shuichi.

“Ah...we needed to ask about what you’re carrying in that lorry.”

“Hmm, right now, it’s just a bunch of sports gear. FALN, or whatever. Tracksuits, tennis rackets, those kinds of things.” Nagito pats the side of the lorry.

“Though I’m sure it’ll give some kids out in Uamrao and L’Iramburde some hope.”

Empathy - Again...something behind the cool. A twisted...obsession?

What?

Empathy - Nevermind...keep your guard up and ask some more.

Empathy (Success) - His eyes. A longing. Flecks of gray and green.

Empathy - His gaze wanders south-west. Down the street, and beyond the horizon.

“What’s in the south-west?”

“Excuse me?”

Composure - A flinch. His frame jolts. The question touched a nerve.

Empathy (Success) \- “It’s fine. You can tell me.” 

He sighs.

“I thought the detective would read me. Not the pianist.” He smiles.

“I miss them. Hajime, Chiaki, Usami...but because of my luck, I just had to end up in Martinaise.”

“They’re all I have. All of my *hope*. Waiting for me...all the way in Jabberwock Island.”

Encyclopedia (Success) - I know this one for sure. That place *does not* exist.

Pretty ironic, isn't it? He's the Ultimate Lucky Student, but he's been caught up in bad luck.

“What’s it like? Thinking about them.”

He chuckles.

“I don’t know. An ache. But one that brings hope.”

Empathy - There it is again!

There is *what*?

Empathy - This man is not what he seems!

“What about you, Kaede? Who do you miss?”

Inland Empire - Is that what it is -- this feeling?

“...I don’t know.”

Nagito pulls back a bit, sweating a bit.

“Well...either way, thank you, Kaede.” He recovers.

“I hope you can use that feeling as a stepping stone for hope.”

That - that sentence is a bit suspicious.

Well, he’s a nice guy who has a weird view of the world. I guess.

Empathy - I can tell you at least this much - It is extremely likely he is not transporting ‘The Despair Video’.

How do you know?

Empathy - This man - he’s...he’s obsessed with *hope*.

Rhetoric - Wait...the way he’s been talking so far…

Logic - It’s actually more probable that he’s carrying The Despair Video, as he’s been talking about using things as a *stepping stone* for hope. He might attempt to turn the world to despair, in order to create a ‘greater hope’.

Rhetoric - My god - this man is insane!

“We’ll have to get going, Nagito.”

Logic - No! This is our only lead right now!

I don’t care. I trust him. He’s not a bad guy. Definitely not.

Esprit De Corps - You sound just like *him*. ‘I believe in the people I wanna believe in.’ You can almost see yourself giving a goofy smile with a thumbs up.

“Good luck on your mission!” Nagito hollers, as we walk away.

6:08 PM

As we walk past the convenience store, I notice a rotund man.

“Welcome to Revachol!” He announces.

Encyclopedia - A common racist announcement.

It’s addressed to you *and* Shuichi.

“Ah...good evening, sir.” Shuichi says hesitantly.

Empathy - He doesn’t know how to react. 

Esprit De Corps - Your partner needs backup. Now’s your moment to shine!

Authority - Don’t let this man boss you around! 

“Don’t *welcome to Revachol* us - you racist jerk.”

“C’mon, I just said ‘Welcome to Revachol’ - it’s a lorry driver thing…”

“I know exactly what you meant. You think *we* don’t belong here - that we should *behave* and *watch ourselves*.”

“Unfortunately for you - *we* are the police here. It’s *my* job to see that *you* behave. You better remember that.” I point at him aggressively.

Shuichi looks at the lorryman.

“Well...we have a couple of questions.”

I sigh.

“Whatever you say, *officers*.” He holds a cigarette between his fingers.

Perception (Smell) - He smells of heavy motor oils. His breath - high-tar content cigarettes.

Authority - You could ask him to show you the soles of his boots. He definitely looks like someone capable of a lynching. Maybe he was present?

“What do you have in your lorry?”

“Not much. I’m here to pick up some cargo, but the dockworkers are on strike, so I’m just sitting on my ass waiting.”

“How long?”

“A month, two months, maybe?” 

“That has been here for just the last week or so, though.” He gestures towards the lorries.

“What kind of cargo are you supposed to pick up?”

“Apples.”

“Apples?”

“Yeah, apples...I take it you had other questions?”

Rhetoric (Failed) - He gave you the run-around.

“Let me see the soles of your boots.”

“Been admiring the stompers, you runt?” He grins.

“Sure, I can demonstrate them.”

He lifts them up. Left foot, then the right.

The bottom of the man’s boots is intricate tangle of threads, with no discernible pattern.

“It’s Revachol!”

“But...why?”

“You’ll see when the time comes, officer.”

“*True* Patriots carry Revachol in their soles.”

“...Aren’t you technically *stomping* on Revachol every step you take?”

“Heh.” A condescending chuckle.

Logic - Well, at least this isn’t related.

I know.

“Ah...what’s your stance on smuggling?” Shuichi asks.

“Smuggling? It’s a joke.”

He says - as he takes a drag of his cigarette.

“You know where people smuggle from? Saramiriza, Safre, Iilmaraa. They take money from our locals with drugs and guns then use it to out-compete us in the manufacturing sector.”

“They know they can’t beat us in a fair fight, so they have to get us to weaken ourselves somehow. It’s racial sabotage.”

“Negative view on smuggling...” Shuichi mutters.

"Someone is smuggling something illegal - who do you think it is?" I ask. 

"Definitely the fortune teller guy down the road." He takes another drag. 

"Why?" 

"Because he's a shifty one. Greedy too." The man grins. 

Drama - A half-truth, Madame.

“Kaede, we’re done here.”

“Ah, really? Alright.”

As we wander around a bit more, trying to find the other lorrymen, we finally wander south of the strikebreaker protest, we find a monument.

6:33 PM

Looking around, I notice incredibly old and damaged roads, and a bunch of cars and boxes.

The monument, aged, stands in the middle of the traffic, pointing towards the ocean. It looks like it has been reassembled, secured and mounted with ropes and rods.

Who is this?

A silver plaque on the pedestal of the statue reads: “I am Filippe III, the Squanderer, the Greatest of the Filippian Kings of Revachol;Son of Filippe II, the Opulent; Father of Filippe IV, the Insane.”

Volition - Not a good track record of mental health in *that* family.

Perception (Sight) - There are some odd indentations on the king’s chest piece.

What indentations?

Perception (Sight) - Something with great kinetic energy seems to have impacted the cuirass...around the ‘heart’. A bullet?

Visual Calculus - Someone’s shot him in the heart. Interesting.

“Shuichi - someone shot this monument.”

Shuichi pulls his cap up.

“I see it...the chest? Maybe it’s target practice - or political.”

“Maybe it’s connected to the murder?” I suggest.

Shuichi opens up his Monopad, and opens up the journal - writing down his own task - to keep in mind about the bullet.

Encyclopedia (Success) - Even by the standards of the Filippian kings, Old Sumptuous Filippe was known for his profligacy.

Uh...what?

Encyclopedia - He blew through national treasury, starting the decline of the Suzerain of Revachol, his maladministration foreshadowing the fall of the monarchy during the Revolution - leading to the end of his family and the monarchy.

Wait wait wait - I don’t really want to know about this.

Filippe III’s bronze statue looks up - defiantly into the sky.

We turn around, and walk around until we find a small gap between two trucks. Walking between them, we see the tanned woman who was fighting Nekomaru earlier.

“Heeeeey! Who are you two?”

“I’m Kaede Akamatsu.”

“And who’s he?”

“Ah, I’m Shuichi Saihara.”

“Yo! The name’s Akane Owari! Nice to meetcha!”

“Akane Owari - the Ultimate Gymnast…” Shuichi mutters.

Perception (Sight) - She does look like she is quite athletic. Almost the physique of an Olympic athlete.

Ah...that explains the whole ‘sparring’ thing.

“Well, later.” The woman attempts to leave.

“Huh? Wait, hold on, we have a few questions to ask you.”

The woman sighs.

“Make it quick, please. I need to get to training.”

“Are you one of the lorry men?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” The woman looks off to the side, looking towards the city.

“What are you carrying?”

“Huh? I dunno.”

“You...don’t know?” Shuichi asks, sweating.

“Who cares what I’m haulin’ if I get it to where it’s supposed to be?”

So she *could* be smuggling the Despair Video in her lorry.

“If you had to guess, who do you think is...the most suspicious and smuggling *something*?”

The woman starts picking her ear.

“Easy. Down the street from the Whirling-in-Rags, there’s a guy selling his ‘clairvoyance’ services there. I would say he’s most suspicious.”

“Any particular reason why?”

“Cause he’s always hidin’ his past about being a lorry driver. I would say go question him.”

“Do you know his name?”

“Nope! It was...Yuri, or somethin' like that.” Akane crosses her arms.

Logic - Sounds like another lead.

“Ah...could we see the soles of your shoes?”

“Sure!”

Just like that?

She quickly raises both her legs up - flashing her underwear.

Well. What about Shuichi?

Perception (Sight) - He’s covering it up with his cap.

“Kaede, this one’s up to you.”

She’s wearing what amounts to school shoes -- plain white shoes.

“I can’t wait to fight Coach again!” She says excitedly.

Visual Calculus - No aberration that you can see. The shoe’s size is...44? Roughly. It’s unlikely she was the murderer though.

“Nothing here. She’s not The Odd Sole, that’s for sure.”

“Alright, we should get going, then.” Shuichi suggests.

“Sure! Bye, Akane.”

“Huh? Oh, bye.” She waves slightly.

“Alright. Next person on the list the man down the street from the Whirling-in-Rags.”

THOUGHT COMPLETE

Something to believe in

_Ryoma Hoshi used to believe that he *was* the Ultimate Tennis Pro. That he was gone. Not anymore. After he met Class 130 - his girlfriend was lost to a mafia - along with the rest of his family. He avenged them, but then was left alone and a shell. However, he met *you*. And you gave him something to live for. Something to once again become the Ultimate Tennis Pro, Ryoma Hoshi. And to no longer remain the empty shell he once was._

+1 Esprit De Corps  
+1 Volition  
+1 Composure 

You know, I tried to ignore it the second time, but it’s hard to when a voice is literally playing in your head - reading off things you or someone else have done.

But...it’s nice knowing I gave someone a reason to live. A reason for their existence.

Inland Empire - It’s unfortunate that no one can give you that.

Volition - You’re wrong. She has *plenty* of reasons to keep going. And this is one of them.

“Kaede? Are you okay?” Shuichi asks.

“Huh?” I look around. A desolate street. On my left, a crater created by what people call ‘The Revolution’ and a small building. 

On my right, a man in a black suit and white shirt, with a blue tie to finish the outfit. He has slightly tanned skin and urchin-like hair. He’s sitting on a box, in front of a small tent.

He notices you looking at him.

“Hey there, you two! You want to have some *spiritual* enlightenment?”

Uh...what?

“Sorry, but we have a few questions, if you could answer them.”

“Us meeting like this wasn’t a coincidence, I tell you. So, I’ll give you two a psychic reading at a *huge* discount!”

Rhetoric - He means he’ll only talk if you pay him money.

“I would normally charge one hundred thousand yen for two hours. But for *you two*? Make it ninety thousand!”

“That’s way too expensive!” I pull back.

Authority - Unbelievable!

Authority (Success) \- “We’re on official police business here. You answer our questions - or I’ll have you arrested.” 

“Hey there - calm down. Stress is bad for your skin, you know? What do you want to know?” The man breaks into cold sweat.

“First, what’s your name?”

“I’m Yasuhiro Hagakure - but you can call me Hiro for short!”

“Hiro, where are you from?”

“Me? I’m a proud japanese man!” He clenches his right fist.

Authority - Keep the cool cop act up! Or else he’ll start being laid-back with you.

“Well, Hiro, we’re currently looking for a lorry driver who is smuggling dangerous items out from Japan to Revachol, as they’re currently in this traffic jam.”

“I’m not a lorry driver, so I don’t know anything about that. I’m just the Ultimate Clairvoyant.”

This guy - is a Hope’s Peak student?!

“Ah, you’re from Hope’s Peak?” Shuichi asks.

“My clairvoyance isn’t any occult bullcrap! It’s always 100% right - 20% of the time!”

...Sounds like a scam to me.

“What class are you from?” Shuichi inquires.

“Me? I’m from Class 78!”

Authority - He’s driving this off topic!

Rhetoric - Bring up the lorry driver thing again.

“But you *are* a lorryman. Another driver has identified you and your lorry.”

“What?! Who told you that?!” His face turns a shade of red - similar to the man in the Whirling-in-Rags.

“A woman. Akane Owari.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have told her fortune!”

“Okay, maybe I am a lorry driver. But that’s not the most important thing about me. This is my dream!” He spreads his arms.

“So...why didn't you tell us?”

“I just forgot. It’s such a small part of my life.” He starts sweating, placing a hand forward.

“So what do you know about the smuggling?”

“Nothing, I told you. When I read and saw into the future - I felt something off about that crowd.”

“What crowd?” Shuichi chimes in quickly.

“Uh...you know, the drug crowd.”

Rhetoric - No, he wasn’t talking about an abstract crowd. It was *that crowd*.

“It wasn’t a *drug crowd*! You know who they are, and you know what they’re *transporting*. Tell me now!”

“Shush! There’s bad people around here -- follow me.”

He motions towards his tent.

Shuichi and I follow him into the small tent.

“Look, all I know is there’s *bad* people transporting *bad* things. Please don’t get me into this mess.”

“Help us out. No one will know it was you.”

“It’s a girl, okay?”

Akane?

Inland Empire - It could be. She was strange.

“How did you know?”

“Some other drivers told me. They only call her ‘The Ultimate Despair’...or the ‘Sixteenth Student’.”

Logic - Someone we haven’t seen yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had *absolutely* no idea who to replace the racist lorry driver (other than Hifumi, but I'm keeping him for later) with and decided that he's one of the minor characters I can't replace. So if you were wondering who he was supposed to be, he's just someone from Disco Elysium.


	15. The 'Sixteenth Student'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey there, calm down. There’s no need to deceive or doubt each other.” Nagito smiles again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaede rolled *two* double sixes this chapter! I was actually jumping in my chair when I saw the checks.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

7:12 PM

Shuichi’s eyes widen under his cap, but he tries to stay composed.

“We’re done here, Shuichi.”

Shuichi nods.

We exit the tent, and while we walk back to the Whirling-In-Rags, I decide to open up the Journal on my Monopad.

Hiro pops out of the tent.  
"Hey! If you two want your fortunes told, just let me know! I'll be there!" 

I give a slight wave and a smile, and then continue walking, looking back at my Monopad. 

<strike>Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
Start the Initial Interviews, first starting with Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.  
Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.  
</strike> Find out the identity of the woman killed.  
Find out who killed the woman.  
<strike>Name the case.  
Type up a summary of the case.</strike>

<strike></strike>

I cross out ‘Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.’

Suddenly, a new task pops up.

‘Find the person smuggling The Despair Video’

Seems like Hope’s Peak already knew, huh?

<strike>Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
Start the Initial Interviews, first starting with Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.  
Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.  
</strike> Find the person smuggling The Despair Video.  
<strike>Find out the identity of the woman killed.  
</strike> Find out who killed the woman.  
<strike>Name the case.  
</strike> Type up a summary of the case.  
“The Ultimate Despair...is it possible?” Shuichi mutters. 

“Shuichi, what do we do?”

“We can talk to all the lorry drivers - ask them about the one they call ‘The Sixteenth Student’, I suppose.”

“Alright! Let’s start with Nagito.”

As we approach Nagito’s truck…

“Is something wrong?” The man asks worriedly.

He shifts around.

“...Would you happen to know anyone called ‘The Ultimate Despair’ - or ‘The Sixteenth Student?” Shuichi immediately asks.

He looks away, suddenly uncomfortable.

“I...don’t really want to talk about *that*.”

Suggestion (Success) \- “I don’t mean to pry, but I really need your help right now, Nagito.” I plea. 

“...I was really hoping she would catch a break.”

He shakes his head.

“I can tell you at least this much: She isn’t here anymore. And I don’t know where she is. But she isn’t *the* Ultimate Despair.”

“Do you know her name?”

“No. She kept her name a secret from me.”

“Who is she to you?”

“A friend? An accomplice? She helps me out a lot, I suppose. Definitely someone I don’t want to talk about to you guys.” Nagito crosses his arms, and looks off to the side uncomfortably.

“What does she look like?”

“She looks young-ish - black, short hair. Pretty thin, too. Freckles.”

“When did she leave?”

“...You guys do know - if you hunt her down, she might not survive it, right?” He says casually, looking downwards.

“People call her ‘The Ultimate Despair’ - they think she’s *the* founder of it. She’s not.”

“How do you know?”

Nagito smiles carefreely, and says...

“Because I know the *real* Ultimate Despair.”

Drama (Success) - That...*was not* a lie.

“What?!” Shuichi and I reel back in shock.

“Oh, no, I’m not going to tell you who they are, calm down.” He places both his hands forward in a calming motion, smiling with his eyes closed.

“Why?!” I ask.

“Hey there, calm down. There’s no need to deceive or doubt each other.” Nagito smiles again.

“But - you’re keeping a danger to *everyone* safe!” I insist.

“It’s alright - you don’t have to worry about it. It’s just the *founder*, right? Just ‘one’ person, right?” Nagito taps on the side of his head.

“So narrow-minded.” He says condescendingly.

Logic - Wait...so he’s implying that…

“There’s *more* founders?"

“Well, whatever. I’m not going to help you out beyond that.”

“But why?” Shuichi asks.

“If I were to give you all the answers, would that *nurture* your hope? I’ve been using the Ultimate Despair all this while - and I’m not going to *stop* using them.” Nagito’s eyes start to swirl - similarly to Fuyuhiko.

Logic - Wait! Check your Monopad!

I quickly scroll through the menus, until I find ‘Report Card’.

Scrolling through, I find Nagito Komaeda.

Class 77-B.

Logic - It all checks out! Maybe he is still inflicted by the brainwashing!

You mean that he’s still part of the Ultimate Despair?

Logic - It’s highly plausible.

But - then the rest of class 77-B…

Logic - They may possibly be inflicted as well.

Maybe he just got forced to watch it alone?

Logic - I suppose that hasn’t been contradicted yet. However, you saw how well Nagito hid his true colours. Hiyoko might be the same.

Half Light - Be careful.

“Go ask some other driver.” Nagito walks away.

“Wait!”

Nagito looks back.

“Why are you asking trash like me to wait?”

“Are you still inflicted by the brainwashing of the Ultimate Despair?” Shuichi asks.

“...No.” Nagito smiles.

“Though I *was* a Remnant of Despair.” With that, he quietly walks away into the Whirling-In-Rags.

The Remnants of Despair...I’ve heard that somewhere before…

Volition - Are your memories coming back?

No...I don’t think so.

Encyclopedia - The Remnants of Despair - I haven’t heard that before.

“Well...we need to ask some other lorry drivers, I suppose.” Shuichi comments.

We walk towards the racist lorry driver from earlier.

“Looking for something, runt?” He leans on the wall.

“Have you heard of ‘The Sixteenth Student?’”

He smirks.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You knew Yasuhiro didn't do it.”

“He did *something*. He stole a lorryman’s job. You should be thankful, actually.” His grin widens.

Authority - He’s been expecting this. He’s really puffed himself up.

“Just tell me which lorry is hers!”

“Listen up. You two don’t scare me. You don’t run Revachol west. You don’t run Martinaise. You don’t run anything.”

“No.” I quickly think up a plan.

“You mean *The Ultimate Despair* does.”

Inland Empire - The name resounds -- for some strange reason, when you say it like *that* - you get a bad feeling about it.

Esprit De Corps - Give Shuichi a sign!

“Right, Shuichi?”

He nods.

Esprit De Corps - He gets it.

“Then I presume you’re familiar with the *Remnants*?” I ask.

“Yeah. The people that hid out and are *still* part of the Ultimate Despair. What about them?”

Suggestion (Success) \- “Some say they’re still active and *everywhere*. The founder even stated at some point that they have them in the *RCM*. In Hope’s Peak even!” I slightly get closer to him. 

“They would do *anything* for them.”

“You’re no *remnant*." He says.

“You wouldn’t be investigating this ‘Sixteenth Student’ if you *were*.”

“No, of course we’re not remnants. *We’re not*. But *if* we were - and the Ultimate Despair collapsed a few years back, with the founder supposedly in Martinaise -- then it’s a remnant’s job to...find them and be given orders, is it not?”

“It’s easy. Just find the person. But a *racist* is in the way *stopping* us from reaching contact with them.”

The racist’s eyes dart between you and Shuichi.

“I’m not scared of you -- or this “Ultimate Despair”.”

“I’m under the protection of the Lorrymen and Carters Guild.”

Authority (Success) \- “You’ve seen the body outside the Whirling-In-Rags. Did *her* guild protect her?” 

“Nah - you wouldn’t just leave her out there if you…” He tries to light a cigarette, but his hands are shaking now.

I give Shuichi a nod.

Wait, how did I -

Logic - Don’t ask. Do.

Composure (Success) - Careful. The man’s still got some fight in him. It won’t be easy to break him.

Half Light (Failed) \- “The jig’s up. We’ve got things on you.” 

“Oh yeah? What things are those?” He snarls.

“You know...your *goods*.”

“This some kind of...Japanese thing?”

“No, no, of course not. Just tell me what you know.”

“Make me, runt.” He blows a cloud of smoke into your face.

“Maybe - we should ask Nagito again?” Shuichi suggests.

Urgh...thought it would work. 

Reaction Speed - Or you could look around, find this guy’s cabin. Check all the lorries. It’s scary when cops are snooping in your things, no?

Good idea.

We wander off, and I see a large lorry with stairs leading up to the entrance.

Interfacing - A Graad factory of Magnets and Miracles U49.

I look in the window.

They’re clear, and they’ve recently been washed. You can see a lorryman’s cabin with personal belongings, stickers, insignia…

Perception (Smell) - Fumes of heavy fuel oil waft over you, making your eyes sting. The odour mixes with cigarette residue.

What kind of stickers and insignia?

Perception (Sight) - The driver has adorned his space with substantial collection of peculiar paraphernalia. Proclamations about *honour*, *strength* and *purity*.

Perception (Sight) - A large metal pendant hangs from the rear view mirror. The pendant features a sun crowned with wavy rays.

What about the back seat?

Perception (Sight) - The back end of the cabin has a small perch to sleep. Large ashtrays. There are several suns and wheels sown into the curtains.

Conceptualization - A book with ragged edges catches your notice. The front cover features a large, muscular man. The title reads: ‘Man from Hjelmdall in the Lost City of the Pygmies’.

“Racist-nationalist paraphernalia.” Shuichi comments.

“Not unusual, probably the guy from earlier.”

Composure - There he is, in front of the convenience store, hoping it’s all over and smoking a cigarette.

We quickly head back towards the man.

“Welcome back, you *remnants*.” He mocks.

Half Light (Success) - Men like this only respect two things: strength and fear.

“Show me her lorry right *fucking* now! The sixteenth student’s lorry -- WHERE IS IT?!”

What...did I just say?

“Fuck you. I’m not gonna…”

Half Light - There! His voice grows smaller, as yours…

“I’ve been to *your* lorry, you know? I know where it is!” I point towards the lorry clad in racist paraphernalia.

“I’m gonna burn it down, YOU HEAR ME?!”

What am I saying?

“Look, fuck you!” He tries to wave you off.

“It’s some lorry down there, green banged up thing. I don’t fucking *know* who she is.”

“When did she go away?” Shuichi quickly asks.

“I don’t know, I don’t even know her name. She just rolls with the fleet and acts like a big shot. Some dyke, probably. Haven’t seen her in days.”

Authority - Now it’s not a big deal for him any more. This is how he saves face.

I slowly regain control of my body - after that outburst.

“Where *exactly* is her lorry?”

“Past the monument down there. The green ‘Tempo’.” He waves south.

“Now leave me alone, okay?”

“A small ‘Tempo’, green.” Shuichi states again, typing it down on his Monopad.

“Well done. Let’s get going, Kaede!”

Empathy - Looks like you got his adrenaline up too. But in his voice - a tinge of worry.

7:42 PM

So...are any of you going to tell me what that was about?

Logic - Later. Case first.

THOUGHT COMPLETE

Shut up, you pigshit trash!

_Hiyoko Saionji wasn’t always so mean. During her childhood, she had an incredibly overbearing grandmother, and along with that other jealous people playing cruel and life-threatening tricks and threats. Of course, with that, came her distrust of other people. And along with *that*, her mean personality she developed. But it’s *because* she’s so mean that she’s still alive._

+1 Half Light  
+1 Drama  
-1 Empathy

Hiyoko this time, huh?

“Kaede!” Shuichi snaps his fingers in front of your face.

“Are you alright? Getting tired?” He looks at you worriedly.

“Ah! I’m fine. Just...zoning out.”

I look at the green truck in front of us.

Interfacing - A green FALN A-Z ‘Contemporain’. Parked in the shadow of the ruins looming overhead.

“Ah...this is probably the one he was talking to us about, unless he was lying.” Shuichi peeks in.

I pull on the door handle.

It’s locked. The handle’s shiny, like it’s been recently replaced.

Interfacing - There’s no picking this lock. The owner has put special care into it. It’s a recessed design.

“Kaede, do you still have that prybar?”

I nod, pulling it out of my backpack.

Shuichi smiles.

“Still in there, huh?”

“Use it to smash the window, and open it from the inside.”

“Is that...a good idea? I’m not sure I’m strong enough.”

“Well...I’m weaker than you, I’m pretty sure.” He points back north.

Visual Calculus - Towards the mail collection box.

“Fine…”

Physical Instrument (Success) - With a firm grip, you raise the prybar, a glint of light catching on the tip. Call down the hammer of truth and justice! Release your secrets, lorry cabin!

“I’m sorry.” I smash the window.

The window shatters, and the glass shards fly.

Shuichi reaches his hand in the window, and opens the door.

Perception (Smell) - The smell of...iron permeates the air.

Perception (Sight) - There’s a radio transmitter in the front, and a toolbox tucked under the driver’s seat. Some tools lay scattered near the pedals.

Perception (Sight) - Something odd about the passenger seat...the fabric has been pulled tight over the lower side of the seat where the toolbox should be.

I peel off the cover of the passenger seat.

Perception (Sight) - Voila! A stack of neatly folded papers have been stashed behind the seating fabric. You see three maps depicting a large metropolitan area. It’s Revachol, some of its routes and highways being outlined with a pen.

“Ah...you saw that?” Shuichi asks.

“It..wasn't me.”

Perception (Sight) - Don’t worry about it. You can take credit! I’m in *your* head, after all!

Shuichi looks at you perplexed, but once again - doesn’t comment.

I fold open the topmost map.

It displays an elevated motorway. 

8/81?

There are Xs on the map. One leading into Martinaise, which is blue, and another X at a place called the Old South, marked red.

Toll Booths at the intakes are marked. It looks like there are a few ways of getting onto the elevated motorway - and this person knows all of them. 

“Ah, perhaps they are using the motorway to transport their items? Such as The Despair Video - or maybe even members. It’s likely they’ve infiltrated East Motor Tract…”

Shivers - There, hundreds of thousands of motor carriages roar on the 8/81. High above Jamrock. The commuters don’t even look down. The world ceases to exist when it’s out of their windshield.

Where does the road lead?

Shivers - To Couron. Then to Stella Maris and La Delta.

I fold open the second map.

This municipal map from the ninetys displays a complex system of storm sewers under ‘The Pox’, right adjacent to Precinct 41.

Inland Empire - No storm will ever drown Revachol. The great solution to the riddle of history.

Now, the third map…

The final map displays a labyrinth of service tunnels. A few routes have been marked with a pen -- where the tunnels and sewers surface near the Eminent Domain and a traffic island in Central Jamrock, by the lake.

Interfacing - These service tunnels were probably used during the construction of the foundation beneath the motorway.

“What’s all this for…?”

“The RCM patrols most of these auxiliary roads...maybe not all of them.”

I place the papers back under the seat.

“We’ll have forensics go over the lorry later.” Shuichi suggests.

Perception (Smell) - There’s a light perfume in the air. It’s spicy, with a hint of amber, wafting through the bitter air of the cabin.

Perception (Smell) - Probably ‘Granate No. 5’.

What about the radio?

The frequency dial is absent, and it requires a key to work, but it has been removed - likely by the ‘Sixteenth Student’.

Shuichi leans closer.

“Seventeen radio stations saved...perhaps to contact other lorrymen?” Shuichi suggests.

Shuichi flicks a switch on the radio.

“Shortwave, UW and UKV…”

“We’re dealing with an impressive organizational tool -- a *huge* operation with a large range…”

Interfacing - A 20 km radius at *least*. Might be extended by an attachable antenna.

Shuichi closes his eyes.

Inland Empire - Playing a game.

I check the pedals.

A hammer, a pair of pliers and a rusty wrench.

A piece of sandpaper has been glued to the throttle.

Logic - Adds extra grip.

“Sandpaper has been glued to the throttle...for some extra grip.”

“Sandpaper?” Shuichi mutters.

Logic (Success) \- “Which would *also* rub off the pattern from the driver’s right shoe sole.” 

Esprit De Corps - Connect it yourself. You can do the honors. 

“One of the footprints at the crime scene had one sole smoother than the other…”

“Which means that the ‘Sixteenth Student’...”

“Was present at the lynching.” Shuichi finishes.

I pull out the pull-out toolbox.

Say that three times fast.

Reaction Speed - Pull out the pull-out toolbox! Pull-out the pull-out toolbox! Pull-out the pull-out toolbox!

It’s empty, except for a folded newspaper.

I unfold the newspaper.

An issue of ‘Périphérique’.

A piece of paper falls out from its pages.

I pick up the note.

An article ripped out of a radio-enthusiast magazine.

Complex mathematical equations...the basics of something called ‘the ULAN frequency system’.

Shuichi leans over your shoulder.

“FM, AM, UKV...ULAN…”

I push in the pull-out box.

“I think we’re done here, Shuichi.”

Shuichi nods, and you climb out of the lorry.

I close the rusty old door.

8:06 PM

“We’re finished here, but *before* we head to Rantaro…”

“What is it, Shuichi?”

“I’m...very worried by what we’ve seen so far.”

“What do you mean?”

“The evidence...I'm pretty sure this operation is quite large.”

“That radio transmitter - it was quite suspicious as well. Seventeen stations...but with a lock?”

“This means that…”

“It’s plausible that those are other lorrymen - but it could also be people working with The Ultimate Despair.” Shuichi explains.

“Wait! But isn’t that a bit of a longshot? We don’t even know if this lorry driver is *THE* Ultimate Despair yet.” I ask.

“Well, with this group, it could be anything.”

“But what worries me the most...are the ULAN frequencies. They may tap into police, or worse comes to worst - Hope’s Peak frequencies. We don’t use radios that much anymore...unless we’re trying to *cover* something up.”

Esprit De Corps (Success) - Your view flashes to a brown-haired man with grey eyes, lying down on what looks to be metal, with multiple scientists standing by.

Shuichi’s voice brings you back to reality.  
“Oh, and we can’t forget the maps we’ve found. They’ve used abandoned tunnels and access roads to stay hidden. The marks are probably where they get the Despair Videos and distribute them.”

“Will the RCM open an investigation on this?”

“We should return to the murder case. See what Rantaro tells us about the lynching. When we’re done, I’ll call Precinct 41 and suggest their department look into it.”

“I’m worried, however.” Shuichi pulls down his cap.

“What about?”

“...I don’t think we *want* to get caught in that.” Shuichi lowers his voice to a whisper.

“The fact that an investigation hasn’t started yet...it’s likely that The Ultimate Despair is involved, and…”

“You think the precincts are afflicted with Despair?”

Shuichi nods.

"Or corrupted." 

“That means...if we bring this up - we might not even *see* Hope’s Peak again.”

...This got surprisingly dark.

I start sweating. “Wait...but what are actually the chances that -”

“We don’t know for sure. But I don’t think we can take the chance.”

“How do you think this is connected to DICE?”

“I...think they’re using this ‘Sixteenth Student’ to their own ends. We can’t be sure, though.”

“Kokichi has incredible manipulation abilities. Maybe he’ll figure something out.” Shuichi comments optimistically.

“I still don’t think we can trust him.” I cross my arms.

“I agree.”

Shuichi points towards the direction of the pier.

“Alright. We’re done here. Let’s get going.”

As we're walking past the Whirling-in-Rags... 

"Hey, Kaede?" 

"Hmmm?" 

"Can you teach me how to...interrogate others?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter felt - off, to me. I don't know why. Maybe it's lower quality? Maybe it borrows more from the game? I dunno.


	16. The Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “...I’m sorry to put this much pressure on you, but...if you don’t solve this murder, we may have a *blood bath* on our hands right now.”

8:11 PM

As we walk past the bookstore, I notice that the lights are on now.

We pass Chihiro, giving him a slight wave, and then Angie, who smiles brightly at us.

“Welcome back, you two.” Rantaro sighs pessimistically. 

“We spoke with the lorrymen.”

“Ah...I believe we have discovered enough to conclude - for now.” Shuichi says.

“What did you two find?” Rantaro’s tone goes lighter.

Authority - The Ultimate Detective is about to interject. Cut him off. This decision should be yours.

What? No! That’s rude.

“We believe - that the Ultimate Despair is currently active.”

Rantaro crosses his arms, sweating a little.

“What...do you mean?”

“We found the lorry of one of the drivers, who was nicknamed ‘The Ultimate Despair’.” Shuichi states.

Rantaro flinches at the words.

“And - the lorry had *seventeen* stations. They may be for other lorrymen - or…”

“Other members of the Ultimate Despair. That’s...not good.” Rantaro comments.

“We’ve also found a student that we believe is still inflicted with the brainwashing from Class 77-B.” I chime in.

“This…”

Rantaro lightly pulls back.

“What...did they do for you to come to that conclusion?” He asks.

“Specifically, he claimed to know who the Ultimate Despair is, but refused to tell us.” Shuichi explains.

“And let me guess, because he wanted your hope to *grow* through finding out yourself.” Rantaro crosses his arms.

“Ah, how did you know?" Shuichi asks.

Rantaro shrugs. “Nagito Komaeda. I’ll make sure to log it, but he’s always like that.”

Rantaro’s tone becomes cautious - and more *serious*.

“In any case...have you two found the location of the despair videos?”

Shuichi nods, pulling out the folded map from his breast pocket.

“We believe this is the intake of the Despair Video…” Shuichi points towards the blue X, leading into Martinaise.

“And this is likely the distribution.” Shuichi points towards the red X, at a place called the ‘Old South’.

Rantaro’s eyes widen, and he quickly walks down into his cabi-

“Rantaro! Wait!” Shuichi calls out.

Rantaro walks back up.

“What is it, Shuichi?”

“Are you using a radio to contact Hope’s Peak?”

“Yeah. I don’t really want to risk using a phone.”

“Don’t. In the lorry of the person we were investigating, we found an article detailing ULAN frequencies.”

“Something we think can tap into frequencies like Hope’s Peak - or maybe even the RCM’s.” I explain.

Rantaro sighs.

“I suppose I have to do it the old fashioned way. Give me a moment, I’ll prep the ship.” He walks down into the cabin.

Perception (Hearing) - "I'll have to pick Kirumi up too..." 

Rantaro comes back up, sighing. 

He starts playing with his necklace.

Perception (Sight) - Crystal.

Inland Empire - He does that with the earrings he has as well.

My eyes turn to Rantaro’s ears.

Perception (Sight) - Cartilage piercings.

For Rantaro - it took me a while to take in all the information, huh? Maybe we should start making mental notes of all the people we meet.

Perception (Sight) - I can do it.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - He’s wearing a dark blue sweater, striped. His eyes are green - same with his hair. He’s wearing *incredibly* baggy pants - with black slip-ons.

“Alright, I promised that I would share my information with you if you find the videos, correct?” 

Shuichi and I nod.

“...I’m sorry to put this much pressure on you, but...if you don’t solve this murder, we may have a *blood bath* on our hands right now.” Rantaro’s eyes darken again.

“A blood...bath?” 

Rantaro nods.

“I’m afraid this…’strike’ may lead to a small scale civil war.”

“Ah...so this is the RCM’s worst case scenario…” Shuichi comments.

“Unfortunately, the Future Foundation - those managing Hope’s Peak currently…” Rantaro looks at you.

“Felt that they couldn’t trust me enough. And so - they deployed what amounts basically to a...mercenary force.”

“A mercenary force?”

“They called it...my ‘security’.” Rantaro shrugs.

“Something I absolutely did not need in my current situation. These mercenaries are muscle - meant to intimidate ‘DICE’ into surrendering.”

“Who are they?”

“Ever heard of Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu?”

“Wait - he was with *you guys*?!” I pull my hands back, sweating a little.

“They decided to bring *him*, along with a few of his friends *and* family.”

Logic - And Natsumi Kuzuryu...

“...The girl murdered…”

“Was his sister. Yes.”

“So...what are we supposed to do?”

“Nothing. There’s not much we *can* do. The remaining two people the Future Foundation has sent will carry out their orders - but only *for now*.”

“For now?” Shuichi questions.

“Right now, they’re actually conducting a tribunal into the lynching. Once their…’investigation’ has concluded, executions will follow.” Rantaro looks off to the side.

I reel back abit. Looking at Shuichi, he starts breaking into a cold sweat as well.

“...And what was the point of this ‘investigation’?”

“Whether to execute one, some, or *all* of DICE.”

That’s...not good.

Electrochemistry - This is *not* disco.

“If - you don’t solve this murder anytime soon, they will identify and execute everyone present for the lynching. Which will then force Kokichi and the *survivors* to respond.” Rantaro raises a finger.

Authority - They would *have* to.

“These people work in tandem using semi-and fully automatic firearms. Armor may be a problem as well - though I’ve never noticed them wearing any.”

Hand/Eye coordination - To worsen things, you don’t even *have* a gun! Not right now. And Shuichi’s is a *service* pistol against full on *automatic weapons*.

“As I’ve said - it will end in a bloodbath. This is why I had to *cover up* this small part, as if the public found out that Hope’s Peak was behind the *public execution* of a group…”

…

“Ah...this is pretty bleak, huh?” Shuichi looks towards you.

You give a silent nod in response, thinking about what to do.

Logic (Failed) - You can’t figure it out *before*.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - But *Shuichi* can.

Endurance (Failed) - You can’t live past *one* shot.

Rhetoric (Failed) - You can’t argue your way out.

Savoir Faire (Failed) - You can’t dodge bullets.

Inland Empire (Failed) - You can’t *dream* winning a fight.

Drama (Failed) - You *cannot* lie your way out, Madame.

Hand/Eye Coordination (Failed) - You don’t have a gun to win a firefight with.

Volition (Success) - There has to be *at least* one!

Composure (Success) - But you can *fake* your way out.

Empathy (Success) - You can comfort them.

Suggestion (Success) - You can charm them.

Not so sure about *that* one.

Conceptualization (Success) - You can *conceptualize* a way out.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - You see the brown haired woman and the purple haired man getting into a Hope’s Peak Chevrolet.

“It’s up to you two to figure this case out before then.” Rantaro crosses his arms, looking at Shuichi.

“All you can do is get *one* single, concrete suspect delivered to court - and I may be able to defuse the situation.”

“What can you tell us about these...mercenaries?”

“There are two more, from what I remember. Fuyuhiko himself and a woman named Peko Pekoyama.”

“...Ultimate Yakuza, and the Ultimate Swordswoman…Hope’s Peak students.” Shuichi mutters to you.

“And these two - they’ve been fighting for a long time.” Rantaro taps on his head.

“Where are these two people?”

“They’ve gone to ground. I don’t recommend seeking them out.”

“Ah...they’re almost certainly armed to the teeth, huh?” Shuichi comments.

Rantaro nods.

“They don’t really respect the ‘RCM’ either - though because you two are Hope’s Peak, maybe you’ll get something from them. They think the RCM are vigilantes.”

Authority - Vigilantes? You’re a professional officer of the only *legitimate* authority in Revachol.

“We still need to know where they are, right?”

Logic (Failed) - This is so embarrassing. You have no idea. There’s something *wrong* with your brain. Luckily, Shuichi still has his.

Inland Empire - Debatable. He’s driving a car right about now.

“Ah...I believe we saw Fuyuhiko at the strikebreaker protest...and the other must be in one of the four-story buildings - as they’ve been reporting to you.”

Rantaro nods. “Good job. You’ve read the situation like a book. Though I still advise avoiding them.”

“How much time do we have?”

“Until they start *executing* people? I..don’t know. It depends on their progress identifying the members of the lynch mob - and their impatience.”

“Though I can tell you this much. It’s a matter of *days*. Not weeks.” 

That’s...that's enough for now.

“We’ll try to solve this case as fast as we can, Rantaro.”

“Shuichi...I have a big favor to ask of you.”

“A...big favor?”

“Don’t die on me, alright? Remember *your* promise.” 

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi starts sweating a bit.

He hesitates a bit, before answering.

“...alright.”

Shuichi seems to have a ton of friends that he’s close to, huh?

“You too, Kaede.” Rantaro’s eyes flicker to you.

“...Now. Getting back to another topic.” 

“Kaede. Would you happen to want...a reality check?”

“A...reality check?”

“A *lowdown*. On this…*reality*.” Rantaro can barely find the words.

“We may be here a while, but you can ask any questions you have.”

Encyclopedia - Alright. We’re in. Let’s start with *where*.

“Where are we?”

“Martinaise.”

“And...what *is* Martinaise?”

“A district of Revachol.” Rantaro looks off to the ocean.

Inland Empire - The water, the light - it’s as though you’re seeing it for the *first* time.

Shivers - There is no recognition. Only the immensity of the sea, and the cold radiating.

Rantaro observes your eyes scanning the horizon.

Inland Empire - This is one thought you *need* to complete. Where are you?

“A very small district tucked near the Industrial Harbour. North of Jamrock and the 8/81.”

“And what’s *Revachol”?”

“A city.”

“What kind of *city*?”

“The great kind.”

Inland Empire - As if it’s self-explanatory, beyond patriotism. A fact.

“What makes this...city so great?”

“*History*, Kaede.”

“Was there something else you wanted to know?” Rantaro asks.

“Ah...Rantaro - could we hold this tomorrow? It’s getting dark.” Shuichi suggests.

I look at my Monopad for the time.

8:58 PM

“You’re right, Shuichi. You guys can come back here tomorrow. I'm leaving on Wednesday.” Rantaro smiles.

“Bye, Rantaro! Thanks for the help!” I wave.

Shuichi waves as well.

From the pier, Shuichi and I walk up the stairs that led to the main road.

We walk past the many collapsing apartment buildings...until we move into an alleyway for some unclear reason.

Conceptualization - Everything shall become clear soon.

A wall of an apartment building…

Why am I looking at this, even? I have better things to do right about no-

Conceptualization (Success) - Because this is no ordinary wall. It is *sublime*! LOOK AT IT! The shadows, the colours…

Conceptualization - All the other walls on all the other houses must make a pilgrimage in adoration of this, the uncontested pinnacle of wall-craft. Colour peeled from the very face of god.

What?

Conceptualization - OH WALLFATHER!

Uh….what’s going on? I’m not going to *paint* on this wall, if that’s what you’re asking.

Conceptualization - That’s your loss. Farewell, rain-washed wall at the end of the world.

9:04 PM

We walk back into the main street, and for the first time I notice the fading paint on the ground.

Conceptualization - A long time ago.

We walk over some wooden planks, and continue following the path back to the Whirling-In-Rags, walking up a set of stairs.

“Oh, Shuichi, what about your...unlocked Chevrolet?” I ask, looking towards it on my right.

“I...should probably drive this to some place safer. I’ll do it later.” Shuichi responds.

We slowly walk towards the Whirling-In-Rags, and open the doors.

Perception (Sound) - [From the jukebox, a slightly different tune plays - one that feels more...calm.](https://youtube.com/watch?v=u998cggd37M)

Perception (Sight) - Inside, the lights have been turned on, making it look like a club with the ‘disco’ lighting.

We approach Byakuya again, who’s still working at the counter.

“You two are back again. Done searching through trash for your money?” He sneers.

Shuichi places the trash container key on the counter.

“Mr. Togami, to make sure of something - the only people with access to the trash container outside in the courtyard is staff at the Whirling-In-Rags and the Trash Collection Service, correct?” Shuichi asks.

Byakuya nods.

“What about it?”

“We...found the victim’s clothes in the trash.” Shuichi brings up.

Byakuya’s eyes widen.

Empathy - Now *this* is interesting - he thinks.

“How...strange. *I* certainly didn't put them there…”

“Could someone on your staff have put them there?” I ask.

“Celestia had the keys before I got here, but I can fairly easily vouch for her. Not like her to *tamper* with crime scenes anyway.”

“What about *you*?” I quickly ask.

Suggestion - He did not like that. Not one bit.

“I think tampering with crime scenes is more…*you*, Musician.”

Well...I suppose he’s not *wrong*...

Inland Empire - It’s a good thing you *do* tamper with crime scenes, solving them to help out the locals.

What are you implying?

Inland Empire - Nothing. Nothing at all.

“Ah...about the money Kaede owes…” Shuichi brings up.

Oh no, I forgot about that.

“Can I pay with a cheque?” I ask.

Byakuya looks at the cheque on the table.

He takes it with a sneer on his face.

“Two thousand five hundred. That brings your total down to 7500 yen. If you can pay *that* off, then you can stay.” He crosses his arms, looking at you condescendingly.

Shuichi sighs.

“Ah, Kaede, pass me my phone.”

Esprit De Corps - I *really* didn't want to resort to this, he thinks.

I pull out the phone from my backpack, and pass it to Shuichi, as he walks out the Whirling-In-Rags while dialing.

I turn back to Byakuya.

“There was something I had to ask you about, by the way.”

“Tch...What?” He frowns.

“I saw a sign that the...mess hall is reserved for the Union?”

“Those ‘DICE’ kids. The nastiest *and* the loudest.” 

“They come here in the evenings. Dumb, unruly...they’re good customers though. Placing big orders - and they pay on time, too.” He looks straight at you. ‘Pay on time’.

Authority - He hates the union, but grudgingly recognizes its power over him.

I should keep this in mind. Maybe Shuichi has an idea about it.

“How do we find them?” I ask.

“You don’t. You wait. They show up sooner or later.” Byakuya looks away, towards the mess hall.

Logic (Success) - But it’s already past 1600! Why isn’t it occupied?

“It’s after 4 PM, so why isn’t anyone in the mess hall?” I ask Byakuya.

“They’re probably getting drunk. Or *protesting*. Or laying low after the, you know, lynching they’re being accused of.” Byakuya looks at you condescendingly.

Reaction Speed - By the way -- you should come back to this *thing*-based questionnaire if you see anything interesting in the Whirling later!

“Oh - Byakuya, can I play the piano here?”

The man - for once, seems to hesitate.

He sighs, annoyed.

“...Go ahead. But if it gets too bad, I’m removing you from the piano.”

Volition - You wait and see, cafeteria manager!

9:18 PM

I walk outside of the Whirling-In-Rags, where I notice Shuichi’s Chevrolet is gone.

Deciding to wait for Shuichi to come back, I lean against the wall.

Waiting - in the cold night.

Perception (Hearing) - You hear the sound that woke you up again. The clarion call - coming from the courtyard.

You mean the car? 

I move slightly closer to the fence.

Perception (Hearing) (Success) \- “Ah...alright. Thanks, dad.” 

I quickly jog back to the outside of the Whirling-In-Rags, as Shuichi’s footsteps get closer. I lean against the wall, pretending to have been waiting there.

He rounds the corner.

Shuichi seems a bit surprised to see you outside.

“Shuichi! What were you doing?”

“I was just parking the car somewhere I thought would be a bit safer.” Shuichi turns around to face the courtyard.

He fit the Chevrolet through that small hole?

Visual Calculus - Possible.

“Good idea. Might not be my business, but who were you calling?” I ask curiously.

Shuichi doesn’t answer, instead placing a cheque in my hands - signed by himself.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - He’s paying the full seven thousand five hundred *you* are supposed to pay.

“Shuichi, I...can’t take this.” I murmur, pushing the cheque back into his hands.

He sighs again.

“Kaede, please.” 

Empathy - His eyes stare into your soul - *begging* for you to take the money so you have somewhere to sleep.

“Uh…” My eyes start flicking over to the street lights - as I begin sweating a bit, gripping my right arm.

Esprit De Corps - Just take it. Or else I did that for nothing.

“Okay...” I say uncomfortably, as I grab the cheque from him.

9:22 PM

I push open the door, and start approaching Byakuya, with Shuichi following behind.

Perception (Sight) - People all around you - drinking, chatting, and playing.

I place the cheque on the bar counter.

“Sorry for the trouble.” I mutter.

“*Thank you*, officer.” He sneers.

Rhetoric - Sarcasm, if you couldn’t tell.

I get it. You can stop with *that* now.

Byakuya tosses a key at Shuichi.

“That’s your key as well, Detective.”

Shuichi manages to catch it this time.

Suggestion - Hey, so we’ve been monitoring you internally, and now we know your *copotype*.

Again? Which one is it this time?

Suggestion - Guess.

I’m not sure…

Suggestion - We’ve looked through today - and figured that you were the Sorry cop. The cop who’s sorriest. Let’s make it official, shall we?

Empathy (Success) - Huge lack of enthusiasm going on in here.

Sorry cop, huh? I can’t tell if that’s better or worse than ‘boring cop’.

Suggestion - Personally, I’m more of a ‘boring cop’ man myself - at least the boring cop doesn’t go through *rigorous* self-critique.

I...suppose I’m sorry for being sorry, then?

Suggestion - Of course you are. It’s okay. See if you can get something out of this. Like...info, or maybe like, everytime you say sorry you get a million bucks?

Logic - That won’t happen.

“Kaede, we should finish up our investigation for today. Let’s go out on the balcony.” Shuichi suggests.

Interfacing - What about that *piano* though?! Look at those keys…they’re practically *asking* to be played!

I look to the back of the Whirling-In-Rags.

“Shuichi, can we do our…’debrief’ at the piano instead?” I request.

“Ah...sure. Though we have to keep our voices down.”

Shuichi and I sit down on the piano bench, as I place my fingers on the keys, I take in a deep breath.

The air is brisk...

Conceptualization (Success) - The notes and rhythm come to you - and…

Interfacing (Success) - You press down on the keys lightly.

I press on the pedal...

[And start playing a small tune, one that I recognize.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQWp1Q0wCD8)

Inland Empire - What should *we* do at the peak of your womanhood?

Logic - Figure this case out.

Encyclopedia - Learn more trivia.

Rhetoric - Participate in Non-stop debates.

Drama - We shall *perform*! Entertain! Keep doing what you're doing, Madame!

Conceptualization - Make *art*, like what you’re doing now.

Visual Calculus - Make laws of physics work for *the law*.

Volition - Be the good guy.

Empathy - Put yourself into others’ shoes.

Authority - Assert your dominance.

Esprit De Corps - Understand your friends.

Suggestion - Charm others.

Endurance - Improve your health. Get rid of this hangover.

Pain Threshold - Push on, to the bitterest end.

Physical Instrument - Man yourself up!

Electrochemistry - Go to *party planet*!

Shivers - Understand why *you* were chosen.

Half Light - Fear.

Hand/Eye Coordination - Shoot straight. Take the shot.

Perception - Open up, take in every detail.

Reaction Speed - Catch them - regardless of if they’re truthful or real bullets.

Savoir Faire - Be *DISCO*!

Interfacing - Connect to machines.

Composure - Don’t crack.

Inland Empire - Remember.

9:25 PM

I frantically start pressing on the keys, as the song reaches its end.

Interfacing - Make sure you don’t press *too* hard.

Conceptualization - A *rushed* end is never good.

Perception (Hearing) - You press on the keys, as the song finishes.

Inland Empire - Was it good, or bad? Let’s find out.

Electrochemistry - Would’ve been more *disco* if you were drunk.

You look next to you, to see Shuichi missing.

Empathy - He felt uncomfortable being at the centre of attention.

Perception (Sight) - There he is! In the crowd, second table from the front.

Some in the crowd start clapping, but not many do.

However, most *are* smiling.

Thankfully.

Byakuya looks off from the side.

Empathy - I suppose that was...serviceable.

Smiles. *This* is what I play the piano for...

I stand up from the piano bench, and start walking towards Shuichi.

“Okay, maybe that was a bad idea. Let’s head up to the balcony.”

Shuichi smiles.

“It *was* a good performance, though.”

We walk up the stairs, and I approach the glass door - where I found my second shoe.

9:30 PM

Shuichi opens the door out into the cold.

“Though I didn't expect you to pick Long and Short Festival.”

“I can enjoy music that isn’t classical!” I pout.

Perception (Hearing) - The traffic hums.

Shuichi pulls out his Monopad.

“Alright. Let’s go through what we’ve done today - as well as a bit on your amnesia.”

“How did today go?” I ask.

“We inspected the victim’s body - which was good. Our inspection was quite thorough, with leads that we’re following up on.” Shuichi states.

“That’s only because you shot the body down, though!”

“We finished the Monokuma file, and we also found out that the victim wasn’t just hanged, she was also shot - and that was likely the real cause of death.” Shuichi says, while blushing a little.

“*And* you managed to pull the bullet out. You may want to take a look at that later.”

I nod.

“The rest is up to the people in processing.”

“We did a quite thorough search of the crime scene as well.”

“Then, we talked to a few people, and finished our initial interviews - including Kokichi and Rantaro.”

“Rantaro told us a lot - though none of it was...particularly *good* news.”

“All in all, today was quite well done.” Shuichi comments.

“Can you tell me about the RCM, by the way?” I request.

“The RCM is the Revachol Citizen’s Militia. Of course, I told you about how we were Hope’s Peak students sent to help them out with this part in Martinaise.”

“What are our powers, exactly?”

“They’re actually quite limited. We can impose fines, arrest people, and serve *station call* slips.”

“Station call slips?”

“Yes. Rather than arresting them, we send them a slip that tells them to show up at a police station.”

“How...do we make sure they show up?”

“Ah...you actually can’t. Those that don’t show up become fugitives - and have fewer legal rights when they *do* get caught.”

Authority - When power calls you, you come. But power *itself* is a fragile trick of perception.

“And if they resist?”

Shuichi seems slightly uncomfortable.

“We’re permitted to use whatever force is necessary. Though...I don’t particularly agree with that rule.”

“So if I kill someone while on duty…”

“You need to provide evidence as to why it was necessary. Usually your partner can testify as a witness.”

“Ah, though they’ll cross-examine you for inconsistencies. It’s hard to *cover* for anyone.”

“And who makes all these rules?”

“The Coalition Government.”

“The RCM was formed by the Coalition Government to restore order in the International Zone after the Revolution. And we did. Now we try to maintain that order.”

Shuichi looks towards a window in the apartment building next to us.

“Or perhaps...it is better to say that we were ‘allowed’ to form. It’s a point of contention whether the citizens or the Coalition founded the RCM.”

“Either way, the Moralintern leases us the right to keep the peace in this city. And they’ll take it away if we misuse it.”

“What *is* this Moralintern thing?”

“The Moralist International. A political organization. They started running Martinaise after the Revolution failed.”

“How would you describe them?”

“Ah...A union of centre-left and centre-right parties. They run quite a few inter-governmental organizations, though other than that there’s not much.”

“What do they believe in?” I ask.

“I think it was called…’Dolorians’. They *believe* they continue the humanist project set forth by Her Innocence Dolores Dei, who supposedly showed up four centuries ago. Others say they’re just technocrats, however.”

Rhetoric - Those others say *they* continue the humanist project set forth by Dolores Dei.

“Do they have any symbols?”

“Their motto is: Love, Compassion, Self-Discipline.”

Conceptualization - Something kind and *usual*.

Inland Empire - Something *ominous*.

Perception (Sight) - Something like the dark blue, serious colour of the early night sky.

“Who was Dolores Dei?”

“A historic figure, I suppose.” He thinks, placing a finger under his chin.

“Though I’m not sure. I’m not really a person focused on religion or humanism…”

“We need them here...giving us the right to police Revachol.” I comment.

Looking into the night…

Perception (Sight) - The dying lights shimmer below. Chihiro's gone. Almost certainly at home.

Shuichi pulls on his cap.

Esprit De Corps - The best thing in my wardrobe - he thinks.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - The purple haired man and brown haired woman sit in the Chevrolet.

“I can’t believe we’re going all the way to Revachol.”

“Hey! Don’t think of it like that, Maki Roll! It’s only about 8 more hours of driving!”

“I hope our investigation will improve the situation around here.”

Shuichi starts sweating.

“Me too…” He says quietly.

Empathy - Though we shouldn’t count on any drastic changes.

Perception (Sight) - He is *very* tired. There are dark circles under his eyes you can barely see.

“Shuichi, this might not be my business, but - why do you wear that cap everywhere?” I ask.

Empathy - That...struck a chord.

“Ah...what do you mean?”

“I just felt like you should be more confident! And that the cap was...holding you back.”

Empathy - Keep going.

Shuichi looked down at his left hand.

“After all, you’re the Ultimate Detective, right?”

“...I shouldn’t even be the Ultimate Detective.”

“I’m not...even a *real* detective.”

Empathy - A sadness in his eyes.

“At most, I’m just an apprentice detective, who happened to solve a murder case before being scouted…”

“Well, the fact that you solved it before the *police* did is still amazing, isn’t it? Most people can’t just...do that.”

“...Was it even a good thing that I solved that case?” He asks.

Empathy - He’s not asking *you.* He’s asking himself.

“His eyes...staring at me like he hated me more than anything in the world…” Shuichi voice starts shaking.

Logic - That’s probably why he doesn’t like eye contact - and hence, why he wears the cap.

“He did it...to get revenge. The victim was *abusive*, driving the culprit’s relative to suicide.”

“The victim deserved it, they said. The culprit was in the *right*.”

…

“But it’s not your fault, right? You just uncovered the truth - something anyone would’ve done in that situation!”

“Yeah…*I* was the one who uncovered the truth.”

“The one whose fault it is..." 

“Ever...since….that one...stupid….case!” Shuichi’s eyes start tearing up.

“What’s the point of uncovering the truth...if it’ll just make everyone hurt more?”

I pat Shuichi on the back.

“It’s okay...let it out…”

Shuichi turns back to face you, as you back up.

“What kind of stupid detective is *afraid* of finding the truth?”

“Shuichi…” I mutter.

I pull him into a hug.

“It’s okay.”

“I would be a complete mess if it wasn’t for you, you know?”

A small pause...

“You give the citizens here courage…You give *me* courage.”

“So...please be more confident in yourself...Please...believe in yourself.”

Shuichi hiccups.

9:48 PM

“Good night, Shuichi!” I smile, as I enter my room.

“Ah...good night, Kaede.” Shuichi replies, his eyes still slightly red.

Looking around my room, I notice how dirty it is again.

Volition - We should clean this place up.

I start picking up the glass bottles on the ground, and finally notice the tape player on one of my desks.

On the ground, a tape seems to have been torn out of the tape player, while it was still playing.

Volition - Definitely no way you can clean *that* up.

Holding on to the glass bottles, I look around my room for a trash can.

Perception (Sight) - There isn’t one.

Well...crap. What do I do with these then?

Physical Instrument - Slap them!

No, not again.

I’ll...just go check if there are trash cans outside.

Walking out of my room and down the stairs, I exit the Whirling-In-Rags, with people’s eyes staring at me and find a trash can outside of the bookstore. I throw everything in, and quickly jog back.

I enter my room, and decide to take a quick bath.

Walking into the bathroom, I look at the bathtub.

Perception (Sight) - Not the cleanest bathtub in the world, but cleaner than you are right now.

Perception (Smell) - Ah, that soap scum smell. Smells like life. At least, compared to *you*.

I run myself a bath, and submerge myself in the water.

Perception (Sight) - A few beer cans and a wine bottle are bobbing up and down along your flanks like sad duckies.

Inland Empire - You feel nice and lonely. And so, so tired.

I take the beer cans and wine bottle out, and decide to linger in the tub a little.

Inland Empire - The corpse…

Conceptualization - Then -- houses along a narrow street. A video rental. Darkness.

I get out of the bath, and redress myself.

I lie down on the bed, and I close my eyes.

But...sleep doesn’t come.

I roll over.

Perception - A little better...colours, scenes and half-formed phrases litter your mind.

Logic - Who killed him? Who?

Your breathing steadies.

A silence washes over you.

Your eyelids twitch.

Images start forming.

Volition - It *is* strange. It’s like...she has a mind of her own.

Rhetoric - Technically, she is supposed to have a mind, it’s us.

Drama - Of course. However, the madame seems to have...another. Her own line of thinking.

Empathy - And she’s done something bad in *her* past too.

Rhetoric - Some other strange things as well. For example - She claims to not remember her past, but sometime earlier she mentioned having a younger twin sister.

Logic - Or what about that time our *imagination* called her by her name?

Inland Empire - Kaede Akamatsu.

Logic - Can any of us do it?

Encyclopedia - Kaede Akamatsu.

Rhetoric - We’re referring to ourselves in the third person as well, calling us *her*.

Half Light - Or what about that time she felt like she *lost control* of her body when we started shouting at the lorry driver?

Logic - Okay. That’s it.

Volition - We’re stopping this now. Just wake up tomorrow.

…

Where am I?

The court...yard?

In front of me…

A...body?

It’s...me?

Hanging off a large piano...with spikes behind me…

Do you remember the scent of your childhood?

What...is this?

What it says on the *can*, Kaede. Answer.

...I remember...the piano…

Remember the name they gave you?

Piano freak…

That’s right. That’s *all* you are. A piano freak. You watched him go - and then *her* too.

Tell me, where are your friends? Human beings have *friends*, and where are yours?

At...Hope’s Peak...Kaito, Maki...Shuichi…even that Sayaka and Makoto….

No. They’re gone. Three times. Three times *gone*. You failed.

You failed *me*. You failed Elysium.

El...ysium?

The world. The pale. The Isola. The Surface…

You dropped the ball, Kaede. Seven billion people - and you failed every single one of them.

...I’ve talked...to you before...right?

No, you were just talking to yourself. That’s all you ever do. Even in your dreams…

No...that’s...wrong…

What’s wrong?

I...can come back.

You’re not coming back from *shit*! Thrashing around with your piano music and acting like a *clown*. Who are you kidding?

You’ll...see. This case...I’ll figure it out with Shuichi…

You’re going to *what*? I can’t hear you.

Something is *wrong*. Sleep shouldn’t be this bad. This dry. This un-nourishing. There’s something wrong with your thoughts...some kind of new type of hangover…

A...new type?

Oh yes. And it’s *worse!* Time to get those clothes on.

Time to go to work in the *shit factory*!

No...don’t…

The piano smashes down…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of Day 1, after 40000 words and 16 chapters!
> 
> I wasn't really sure how to deal with Shuichi's whole rant about being *scared* of the truth and Kaede comforting him - so feedback on what parts of that were...not good or cringeworthy would be great!
> 
> Shuichi also sounds...*off*, this chapter - even though I consider him the easiest character for me to write (which is never good).
> 
> Also - Belated Happy New Year!


	17. The Dark Morning of the Second Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I look up at the industrial harbour, and see Akane doing sit ups, with Nekomaru shouting “ONE HUNDRED MORE!!!!” in front of the button.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a warning, there's a fair bit of exposition this chapter, so it might get boring in some parts. 
> 
> Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

I sit up on the ‘bed’, and look around my room, when suddenly - a sharp pain enters my head.

Electrochemistry - Good going, gal.

What…*was* that dream?

Electrochemistry - You have those ones *all the time*! You feel even worse this morning than you did last night, though.

I start rubbing my eyes.

Electrochemistry - You’re *insanely* tired. Too tired and *down* to even think. It *is* worrying, isn’t it? You can’t be a detective. Detectives need to think.

I didn't even drink last night…did I?

Electrochemistry - It’s just that your heart has finally pumped all the *speed* out of your system, damsel. Time to *get some more*!

Volition - Don’t do that. Stay strong. The hangover will wear off. You don’t need to keep doing this to yourself.

Speed...? 

Electrochemistry - Speed is a potent central nervous system stimulant. It kept you propped up all day yesterday despite your *debilitating* hangover. How else did you get up from this floor? 

Volition - You got up from this floor because of a holy vow you made two years ago. A vow you made with *me*. To wake up every morning exactly at 7:30 - 

Volition - Wait, what? 

Electrochemistry - See? There was *no* vow. You were high on speed. That's the only reason you got up. You can't *detect* without it, can you? 

I...am not doing drugs…

Electrochemistry - Are you sure? Ready to live as this pathetic shell of yourself for days? Basically a week? Let’s be honest -- two weeks, maybe three? You won’t make it. Half the town will be dead by then. You’ll be fired, you know.

That’s...a lie. I can...do this…

Can’t I?

Electrochemistry - Suit yourself, slow, sad, shell of a woman. See how you do *without* your spark.

I look at the bottom of my bed, and find my bag.

I unzip it, and search through the contents for my Monopad.

I find it, and turn it on.

1:38 AM

Slightly...too early. I need to go back to bed.

I place the Monopad back into the bag, and try to fall asleep again.

But...it doesn’t come.

I toss and turn - hoping for images to show.

Encyclopedia - Insomnia.

Logic - There’s no point. Let’s just get up and do something first.

I sit up in bed again, slightly annoyed.

I start rubbing the top of my head and stand up, deciding to take a shower first.

I run the bath, undress, and sit inside, wondering what we’ll do today.

Logic - Maybe we’ll get a lead today?

Esprit De Corps - Maybe they’ll be here today.

Inland Empire - Maybe you’ll find out more about yourself.

Deciding that I had enough of *talking* to myself, I get up from the tub and turn the bath off.

Putting my clothes back on, I walk into my room, pick up the backpack and search through it for the bullet. 

At the bottom of the backpack, I finally feel plastic in my hands, and I pull it out of the backpack. 

Safely sealed away in the plastic bag bearing an 'RCM' stamp, Shuichi had already filled out the label on the bag, including the item number, case number and date and location of the bullet. 

Item 173. Fractured Bullet  
Case Number: KA130-2811.0700  
Date: 3 December, 2019  
Location: Abrasion collar, found in the back of the victim's mouth.

Perception (Sight) - You can barely read the writing.

Inland Empire - Beside his orderly handwriting, the bullet looks sad. Like the tiny, shriveled head of a cauliflower.

Inland Empire - What do we do with you, bullet?

Visual Calculus - I know! You should find the gun that shot this bullet. 

Hand/Eye Coordination - Yeah! that sounds like something a police detective would do.

I bring the bag closer to my eyes, and look at it carefully. 

The jacket looks like...it's made of yellowish metal. There's a dark grey core, and the base of the bullet is close to...5 mm in diameter? 

Perception (Sight) - You can just about make out a few striations near the base of the bullet. Little hairlines, linear. It feels *standard*. 

Perception (Sight) - The core is destroyed, with some fragments still lodged in the victim's mouth.

Urk... 

Interfacing - What's interesting about the bullet thus far? 

Wow, for once I actually have an *answer* to give one of you. 

I think it's a jacketed bullet, close to 5 mm in diameter. 

Interfacing - A jacketed bullet...a military-grade breech-loading rifle? Definitely not from something like the service pistol the detective has...

So we have...an unusual military-grade bullet? 

Can I tell what type of weapon shot it? 

Hand/Eye Coordination (Failed) - You can't remember what happened last week -- what makes you think you're going to remember *arcane* firearm models?

I place the plastic bag back into my backpack, and start searching for my Monopad. 

I pull out the black tablet from my backpack, and decide to scroll through the 'Deadly Life' section, to look at some past cases. 

Logic (Success) - You can piece the cases together with the alphanumeric code on the margin. They always begin with (Initials130), then date of initialization, and then the time of arrival on the scene. After that, the title of the case.

Logic - So, for example, SS130, then 2607, then 14:00, then (THE MURDER OF AN IMPOSTER).

Logic - Alright. Let's start piecing these together -- if you still want to.

Let's read through one of Shuichi's cases first...let's see...this one! 

Logic - Scrolling through Shuichi's cases... 

None of these...are actually solved? 

Logic - Yes. The cases are continued under another man's name - Kaito Momota. 

Esprit De Corps (Success) \- "Don't worry, Shuichi! I'll take *full* responsibility, no matter what." 

...I guess this was rooted much further than we thought. 

Empathy - As I've said. He doesn't *want* to find the truth.

Alright...what about...Maki Harukawa! She'll work. 

Logic - 'THE UNSOLVABLE CASE'. A series of murders were committed, with the same MO - absolutely nothing. They didn't have any calling cards, no *specific* similar thing. But *that's* what made this case suspicious. These murders persist to this day, with at *least* one per week.

Why are they grouped together if they are just...regular murders with completely different situations? 

Logic (Failed) - You should ask her about it later.

Esprit De Corps - Might not be...the *best* idea you've had. 

Deciding that I've wasted enough time already, I decide to start getting ready to head out, getting one last peek at the time. 

1:58 AM 

I unlock the door with my keys in my pocket, and exit the room, locking it again.

Perception (Hearing) - It’s dead silent outside.

I walk down the stairs leading down into the cafeteria.

On my right, I notice Byakuya still awake, and *still* picking on the bird.

[The jukebox has started playing a much quieter, but calmer tune.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VKE26p4Yog)

Sounds more like a Nocturne, now, if anything.

The large crowd of people from yesterday is gone, with only three people left lingering in the Whirling-In-Rags.

I push the doors leading out, and start walking around aimlessly.

My first location of choice is the strikebreaker protest.

As I pass by the Whirling-In-Rags building, I notice a large, lighted sign.

‘Whirling•In•Rags’

The ‘Rags’ flicks on and off, and I notice an entrance I have never used to enter the Whirling before.

‘Closed for winter. Please use Main Entrance.’

Right...we’re in December…

I calmly walk through the night.

The strikebreaker protest is empty, now.

Only the sad scraps of coffee cups and small pieces of paper.

Perception (Hearing) - You hear the loud sounds of what sounds to be *training*.

I look up at the industrial harbour, and see Akane doing sit ups, with Nekomaru shouting “ONE HUNDRED MORE!!!!” in front of the button.

100?! That's way too much!

Looking around, I notice roadblock signs, large tracts of white and a large, metal wall with the letters ‘D.I.C.E’ painted into them.

Logic - The place is old. Older than ‘DICE’ itself. This used to be something else…

Encyclopedia - The Greater Revachol Industrial Harbour.

I walk back to the Whirling, this time looking at the signs.

‘FUCK THE POLICE’

‘PIGS GO HOME’

Conceptualization - What a shame. There’s no…*creativity*. They’re simply repeating words that have been said thousands of times before.

I wander south this time, towards where we saw Yasuhiro.

While walking down the quiet road, I see a fountain.

Logic - It doesn’t pump water anymore. There’s a tree in it.

Walking further down the street, I see a set of stairs, leading to the left of the pawnshop I saw earlier.

On my right, a sign.

‘WATER LOCK OUT OF ORDER UNTIL WEDNESDAY 7:15 AM’.

I walk a bit further down and find the water lock’s control panel.

Perception (Sight) - A couple of indicator lights are missing. Loose wires are dangling from the holes. The middle is a lever. Beneath it, a small metal plaque.

I look across to the other side, seeing a crashed large sign of ‘Mondo Butter’.

Perception (Sight) - The sign has the same man you saw on the photo, smiling and giving a thumbs up.

Visual Calculus - This panel usually closes the water lock, becoming a bridge that lets you cross the canal -- but there’s a crashed sign in the way. Pulling the lever *probably* won’t do anything.

Worth a try, I guess.

Hopefully the sign was talking about *last* Wednesday.

I pull the lever up.

Perception (Hearing) - You hear metal clicks against the contact pins. You hear a soft *clunk*, then..

Nothing happens.

Nevermind, then.

I release the lever.

I slowly walk my way through the night, deciding to see if Rantaro was still awake.

I pass by the spilled can of paint, and walk towards Rantaro’s sloop.

He hears the footsteps, and looks up from his phone.

“Hey there. You’re still awake?” Rantaro asks, giving a slight wave.

I rub the top of my head. 

“No, I just woke up.”

“Ah. Insomnia. Used to have that as well.” He taps on his head.

“What about you? Don’t you ever sleep?”

“Yeah, usually I do. Not today, though. I need to prepare the ship for Wednesday, and though it usually doesn’t take too long, I’m *very* worried about what you guys told me about.” He crosses his arms with a serious look.

THOUGHT COMPLETE

Jamais Vu (Derealization)

_Jamais vu. The opposite of Déjà vu. Not *already* seen, but *never* seen. Everything that *should* be familiar...appears strange, and new. Like some half-forgotten day in your childhood, only *now*. That’s the feeling you’ve been having. And for who knows how long? You should go ask Rantaro about this -- what world are we in? This is the fundamental question._

-1 Encyclopedia  
+1 Conceptualization

Why specifically *Rantaro*?

Rhetoric - Because he’s the only one willing to give you a ‘lowdown’ on reality.

“So...I have a few questions about *reality*.”

“Sure. Go ahead.” He says, with worry in his eyes.

Conceptualization (Success) - What is…*all* of this? The scent, the sound, the air?

“What…*world* is this?”

“What world?” He looks off to the ocean.

“The only one, I guess. The world of matter, and it’s *pale antipode*...”

Inland Empire - The camera of his mind glides over the surface of the water.

“What are you looking at?” I ask.

“Water. Forest-covered surfaces, the cities. This world is enough.”

“You know, there’s a term that they *coined* for it. Back when people were talking about ‘almighty’ Dolores Dei, and discovering more of the world.”

“What is it?”

“Elysium.”

“Though, some people would call it *Hell*.” He shrugs.

Inland Empire - You should ask what *Hell* is.

“What..*is* Hell?”

“A term of hatred. I think...it originates from the Mesque petrofacists?”

Okay, I might not know *a lot* of things in this world, but that is not what *Hell* is.

Drama - He’s not lying, though.

“Really?” I ask.

He nods.

“Cause I remember hell being...a more *after you die* thing.”

His eyes widen, though he tries to regain his composure.

“...Kaede, what are you talking about?” He asks.

Empathy - There’s real worry in his voice.

I look off into the ocean.

“Hell…wasn’t it supposed to be an afterlife, or something?”

…

Inland Empire - His eyes...they seem to flash for a moment. A moment of *recognition*, but he doesn’t have it for long.

“You might be right. We can’t say for sure.” His mouth turns into a slight frown, instead of the carefree smile he always has.

“I don’t know...I feel like I haven’t gotten the whole picture yet…”

“Oh, you want a *picture* of the world?” He places a finger under his chin.

“There isn’t one yet. They’re having *some* trouble reaching orbit.”

“Why?”

“These things are difficult to achieve. We’re just viewing the world from the inside.”

“Anything we should be worried about?”

Rantaro’s face suddenly darkens, as a small smile approaches his face.

“Definitely.”

“Did you know that the pale covers 72% of the surface? There are grey flares, and prominences, even arcs above isolas. Images are blurry. We don’t know much. What we *do* know, is if this world was a sphere -- it was...fractured. A long time ago.”

“The...pale…?”

“They say there is a rarefied envelope of matter surrounding the darkened disc of our planet. That is, if we are even *still* living on a planet. Imagine the world, swathes of land, being disrupted, just by...*nothingness*.” 

“Sorry, Kaede.” His face turns back to the carefree smile, and he places both his hands forward, as if trying to calm you down.

“It probably doesn’t sound good. Especially through the acute encephalopathy. Even scientific positivism isn’t *entirely* convinced about what we’re dealing with here.”

“This is simply another one of the great questions of our time. Maybe if they get the complete set - it’ll jolt us out of our rut. Bring us together, regardless of how naive it sounds.”

…

“I agree, Rantaro.” I smile.

“This is a time when hope needs to bring everyone together. We can’t simply give up! If we go down, we go down fighting!” I pump my fists.

Rantaro smiles as well.

“Glad to hear this didn't startle you much.”

“...Though I can’t say it’ll end…*badly* for you, anyways.” He smiles care-freely.

“If you see the images of our world...it’s...the crowning of the world. Very... *disco*. You’ll love it. Or at least, a part of you will.”

Savoir Faire - Hell yeah! Can’t wait! 200 years to go!

Electrochemistry - Time to go to *party planet*!

Inland Empire - Suddenly, you’re conscious of yourself standing there, on...whatever *all of this* is. Your arms hang down by your sides.

“What *is* the pale?” I ask.

“...How do I even explain *this*?”

“The pale...isn’t technically part of *reality*...it’s the opposite of it.”

“Is there...a definition?”

“The pale is the most dominant geological feature of the world. The separative tissue between isolas. The *inter-isolary mass*.”

“Wait, what even *is* a isola?”

“...Isola is a word for a *continent* of matter, enveloped on all sides by pale. They came up with it with the words ‘Isolation’ or ‘land mass’. We used to believe there was only one. Then - they found eight.”

“Mundi, Seol, Samara, Iilmaraa, Graad, Katla, Insulinde, and…” He looks off.

“Asia.”

“And where are we...?”

“The Insulinde. An oceanic isola. Mainly water. Mundi is the largest, Katla the coldest, and the Insulinde the bluest.”

“And what is the pale…*like*?”

“Achromatic, odourless, featureless. The enemy of *matter and life* itself. Not...like, anything. It’s...a state of nothingness, I guess.”

“And...it’s here?”

“No, Kaede. We’re safe.” He points to the sea.

“It starts there. Far out.”

“North, South, East and West. This is the middle of the isola.”

Inland Empire - As your gaze instinctively turns north, a small pit opens in your stomach.

“And...there?” I point towards north.

“...Matter, rising into the pale. Rolling...maybe even evaporating.”

“A grey...coronal mist, marked by the spores of an opportunistic microorganism…”

“If we’re surrounded by pale, how do we get from isola to isola?” I ask.

“How did *you* get here, Kaede?” He answers.

Inland Empire - The roaring of an engine.

Interfacing - A Boeing, perhaps? 

“An...aircraft?” 

He nods.

“It’s still difficult. But much less so. In these modern times - we are able to navigate the pale without getting lost or having our minds damaged, but it’s still difficult.”

“The pale can…*damage* our minds?”

Rantaro nods.

“How?”

“Extreme sensory deprivation? Some say the pale is degrading past information. A rarefied past. Not matter.”

“The pale also suspends the laws of physics. But not *only* that. It also suspends the laws of psychology, and maybe...even *history*. That’s why some people theorise that the human mind becomes over-radiated by the past.”

Rhetoric (Success) \- “Who says and who argues?” 

“The logical positivists say -- the dialectical materialists argue.”

“What does...this ‘over-radiation’ feel like?”

“Terrible. Internationally, civilians are limited to *six days* of pale exposure per year.”

Logic - It’s more for him. Way more.

“What about you, then?”

“Cleared and trained for 22 days of pale transit annually, thanks to Hope’s Peak.”

“Wait, if you’re the Ultimate Adventurer, how did you get through the pale back then? Before you were scouted?”

Rantaro chuckles.

“I don’t know. Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was willpower. But back then...I travelled *a lot* more than 6 days.”

Inland Empire \- “Maybe it was a love for someone?” 

Rantaro smiles.

“Maybe. Maybe.”

Empathy - There’s a longing in his eyes. He’s not only doing this for Hope’s Peak because he wants to. He *needs* to. He wishes he was in the pale, searching out there instead of standing here.

“Do lorry drivers pass the pale?”

“Yes, they do. Carried in the hulls of airships. A horrific job, one the Automation will abolish, soon.”

“Are *you* over-radiated?”

Rantaro laughs.

“Yes.”

“What are...the physical properties of the pale?”

“It’s difficult to describe or even measure. The most...obvious property - is its *suspension* of properties.”

“The further into the pale, the steeper the suspension. Right down to when *logic itself* stops working. No one has passed that barrier yet. It may be impossible.”

“How much pale is there compared to the world?”

“...Not good. The pale outweighs reality - two to one. *And* the ratio is still slipping.”

“Slipping? In a good or…”

He cuts you off. “What do you think, Kaede?”

“It’s...shrinking. There’s...more and more of the world.” I say optimistically.

“Unfortunately, that’s not the case. One of the few effects of the pale - it’s expanding at an unknown rate.”

“The conclusion most have come to - is that one day, the pale will cover *everything*.”

“That...that can’t *be*, right?” I ask, slightly sweating.

“Most people find handy ways to ignore or downplay that knowledge. I suggest you find one that does the same.”

Inland Empire - *Off we go…* you hear the girl.

“Off we go into the wild pale yonder.”

“One and all.” He closes his eyes.

“They say pale is death, but not for us, for the *universe*.”

Inland Empire - Why should we just leave and leave -- and the world get left behind?

“What is *acute encephalopathy*, anyways?” I ask.

“It’s a neurological disorder. Scientists say it’s caused by a lack of vitamin B in the brain. Symptoms include retrograde amnesia. It’s actually *quite serious*. Though...that might not be it.” He scratches the back of his head.

"The cause of *my* amnesia was the pale - while I was out. I managed to recover, but only barely. The doctor said I had almost fallen into the apathy stage." 

Empathy - He conveys it in short, trying not to scare you too much.

"But seriously, though. You might want to see a doctor soon." 

“...I won’t let you down, Rantaro. You don’t have to worry about that.” 

Shivers - If you fail, it won’t just be *Rantaro*.

“...It’s not just me, Kaede. *All* of Martinaise has placed it chips on *your* success.”

“What causes encephalopathy, anyways?”

“Bariatric surgery or long term alcohol use.”

“Oh. Definitely know which one it is.”

He nods.

“Alright, can we get back to reality?”

“Yeah, sure. But before we do…”

“I need to make sure of something.” He looks you in the eye.

“Is this the first time you’re hearing this?”

I nod.

“Then...can you tell me something?”

“Sure?”

“What do you *think* of the pale?”

“We...need to keep going. We need to have faith in one another to stop this together.”

His eyes tense a bit.

Perception (Sight) - Crow’s feet.

“You really didn't know. This isn’t good for the investigation, but…”

“I’ll trust you. The fact that you were able to coax out so much out of me is incredible, I have to admit.” 

“But I have a warning I need you to heed.” He raises a finger.

“What is it?”

“Don’t take everyone’s troubles into *your* hands.” His eyes darken.

“Take it easy, alright?”

“I’ll try.” I nod, biting my lip.

“You’re not alone. Shuichi is one of the best detectives in the world, and you also have me. I’ll try to assist you as much as I can, but make sure you are able to *rely* on us.”

Empathy - Some of that assurance is meant for himself, as much as for you.

“Even if we have to explain one term at a time.” He winks.

“Thank you, Rantaro.”

“Anytime.”

I give a slight wave, and we say our goodbyes. 

Rantaro walks away, down into the cabin.

As I walk away from the boat...

Empathy - What’s this? We’re getting reports of *normal*, *reasonable*, *temperate* political opinions somewhere in Martinaise…

Really? I guess I haven’t been very radical in any political sense...

Empathy - Of course you’re a radical! A radical *centrist*!

Does...that even exist?

Empathy - In these bright and loud times - where a thousand frequencies drown one another out, sober thinking is a radical act.

I haven’t been very sober lately though, have I?

Empathy - It’s time - to become a citizen of the *Kingdom of Conscience*.

I...have some questions, to say the least.

Empathy - Fire away, Pianist!

First...where is this Kingdom?

Empathy - It is not a place, it is a *moment* in time that can only be accessed in the *right* circumstances. In all of human history, it’s only been achieved a handful of times…

And how do you…bring about these *circumstances*?

Empathy - *Incrementally*.

Empathy - History’s greatest catastrophes have been brought about by people trying to make the world a better place *too quickly*...

Empathy - That’s the genius of *Dolores Dei*. She recognized that progress is meaningless if its gains are lost because of instability. *Real*, lasting change can only come about gradually. Increment by increment.

But...what about the things that are wrong *now*? We even have the Pale to worry about!

Empathy - Tsk, tsk. Just because you live in the *present* doesn’t mean you have the right to place your needs above the needs of the *future*...

Empathy - You may never live to see the Kingdom of Conscience. Your children may not. Even your *grandchildren* may not. But that’s no excuse not to keep working…

Composure - What sangfroid... 

Volition - What benevolence…

Wait...so we’re just...not really doing things, and just...preserving the...'status quo?'

Empathy - Do you believe the status quo is preferable to chaos and bloodshed?

I mean...obviously yes.

Empathy - There you have it. Sometimes holding the line *is* progress.

But that's like...ugh, nevermind.

And what is this Kingdom actually *like*?

Empathy - The kingdom is difficult to comprehend, and even more difficult to describe...

Empathy - Partly because humanity will need to discard many of the categories that define and limit it today. The Kingdom of Conscience is post-capitalist, post-national…

Empathy - It’s also post-industrial, post-ideological, and even *post-sexual*.

That’s fine, but...I need to live for the present right now. There are a ton of things that I need to fix in this world.

Empathy - What you *need* is immaterial. The Kingdom of Conscience is coming...WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. (Only very slowly.)

Speaking of very slowly...what’s the time now?

I pull out my Monopad.

2:34 AM

I should probably head back.

THOUGHT COMPLETE

It’s a Lie!

_Did you know that about 70% of Kokichi’s body is made up of lies? Thing is, they are often made with good intentions - or to mess around with people. He acts like he’s mean and malicious, but he has a good heart. He just acts in a very...harsh and confusing manner._

+2 Drama  
+1 Logic  
-1 Empathy  
-1 Authority when not interacting with DICE 

Hmm...so Kokichi means well, but he just...doesn't know how to express it.

I…*wake* in front of the Whirling, and I open the door leading in.

As I entered, I see Shuichi walking down the stairs.


	18. The Lonesome Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ah...Kaede, we should probably get going,” Shuichi suggests.  
“They arrive at the precinct in a few hours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter was *incredibly* rushed. I tried to describe the road as best as I could - but decided to leave out some parts as they seemed like they were more part of *my* perspective on how it would look.
> 
> This resulted in a pretty short chapter - and by pretty short I mean less than 2k words.
> 
> *Yikes*.
> 
> The HTML formatting screwed up too. (To give you an idea, this chapter passed *10000* characters - but this chapter only had about 1.7k words.)
> 
> Either way - I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

3 December

11:04 PM - Kaito: Hey there, Shuichi! Maki and I are coming over to Martinaise. I’m pretty sure you and Kaede are working on the same case together, right? 

11:05 PM - Kaito: Ms Chisa told us to go check up on her, especially after she told us about the whole amnesia thing. We’ll arrive on Tuesday, probably. Give us like...6 hours? 

11:07 PM - Kaito: Hope’s Peak told us that we should head to the Precinct first. I think it was...41? So come see us if you can! See ya, Sidekick!

4 December

2:02 AM

I read over the messenger text again, and sigh, but let a small grin form.

I tap on the back button and start scrolling through the options, the backdrop changing colours rapidly.

I place the Monopad onto the table in front of me, and turn it off.

I sigh again, sitting on the plastic chair. I slouch over, lying on the table.

Why did I have to wake up so early?

Well, I suppose I can head to the Precinct to pick up Kaito and Maki...

I look around my room. On my left, I notice a door.

It probably leads to Kaede’s room...

On my right, a bookshelf, with a ton of different novels and books that I’ve put there after moving them from the Chevrolet.

Looking at my Monopad on the table, I turn it on and decide to look over the case in Deadly Life.

...The victim was Natsumi Kuzuryu, the self-proclaimed Ultimate Little Sister.

She arrived in Martinaise, sent by Hope’s Peak with Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu and Peko Pekoyama to assist Rantaro in his negotiations with DICE.

However, at an unknown time - Natsumi was killed, and then hung on a tree.

I close my eyes.

PSYCHE TAXI - START!

Phase 1/3

I navigate the car towards the iridescent boxes on the road, avoiding the other cars as the question forms.

What was the cause of death?

1\. Hanging

2\. Gunshot

The bullet we found in the back of the victim’s mouth…  
I steer towards the silhouette on the right.

Good!

The silhouette bounces into the car and sits in the backseat.

Phase 2/3

NEXT QUESTION

The sandy plains turn into a city-like area, with a blue colour scheme. Once again, avoiding the other cars, I pick up the colorful boxes.

Why did they hang the body?

1\. The real cause of death was incriminating

2\. To place the blame on someone else

3\. Both

...I don’t know the answer to this one.

I take the rightmost road into Both, clenching my heart.

Good!

I breathe a sigh of relief.

This one sits next to me, in the front seat.

Phase 3/3

NEXT QUESTION

The city turns back into the old sandy plains, with a few buildings here and there.

I continue picking up the letters, hoping I can answer the last question.

Who attempted to hide the cause of death?

1\. DICE

2\. Kaede Akamatsu

3\. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu and Peko Pekoyama

DICE is probably...the only answer here with the manpower and strength to do it, but...they have a no killing rule, don’t they? Kokichi is probably really strict with that...

Kaede...that one is the *most suspicious* - but the least likely. She arrived on the scene *after* the lynching was reported.

Fuyuhiko and Peko...they don’t really have a motive, do...they? 

I drive to the leftmost choice.

Good!

‘It connects!’ I whisper.

The world shatters.

‘COMPLETE’

I open my eyes.

So DICE was the group that hung the body...but why?

With DICE’s no killing rule...is it possible that they did it...to cover for someone?

I should...pick up Kaito and Maki. And...also get the body to processing.

I look back at the table.

...I...still need it.

I reluctantly grab it and put it on.

Kinship - It’s fine. She’ll understand.

I jolt up from my seat, standing up. 

“Who’s there?!” 

My hand quickly reaches for the unloaded pistol on the table. 

The night goes dead silent. 

...What’s going on? 

I...I must be hearing things. 

I holster my pistol under my uniform, making sure the safety is on and the gun is unloaded. 

I grab the Monopad and push it into my breast pocket along with my phone. 

I unlock the door to my room, and walk out. 

2:36 AM

“Morning, Shuichi.” I wave.

He gives a quick nod in response.

“Good morning.”

“So, what are you doing up so early?” I ask Shuichi.

“Ah...I was planning on picking up Kaito and Maki from the Precinct, along with transporting the body.”

Logic - Kaito Momota and Maki Harukawa…

Esprit De Corps - You should probably follow. They’ll be happy to see you.

“What...about you, Kaede?” He asks.  
“I was wondering why you weren’t answering your door.”

“I couldn’t fall asleep,” I rub my eyes.

“Maybe if you actually did your job properly you would be able to.” Byakuya hisses from the corner.

“Why are *you* still awake, Byakuya?” I ask.

He looks towards a couple sitting next to each other in the cafeteria.

“Because I’m still doing my job, musician.”

“Ah...Kaede, we should probably get going,” Shuichi suggests.  
“They arrive at the precinct in a few hours.”

“Ah, alright! How are we getting there?”

“My Chevrolet’s still in the courtyard.”

Shuichi pushes open the Whirling-In-Rags doors.

We walk into the courtyard, and I notice that Shuichi is still wearing his cap.

Empathy (Success) - He feels guilty about wearing it.

“Hey, Shuichi?”

“Ah, what is it?”

“You don’t have to worry about wearing your cap, alright?”

Shuichi pipes up about to say something, but cuts himself off.

“Thanks…”

We approach the Chevrolet, under the tree where the body once hung.

In the night, the car catches your eye.

Interfacing - There’s always *something* to do. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take time to admire this piece of machinery.

Perception (Sight) - Even at a standstill, the Chevrolet looks *sleek* and *dynamic*.

Interfacing - A Malibu, perhaps? This seems like a service vehicle, for sure.

Perception (Sight) - Someone has waxed it recently.

“What made the sound that woke me up on the first day, anyways…?” I think aloud.

“Ah...that’s probably the car horn. I wasn’t really paying attention and...somehow pressed it.”

Interfacing - That is a pretty difficult thing to do.

“...Shuichi, how?”

"I was tired...I suppose." 

Empathy - Tired of all the stress and work.

Inland Empire - Tired...of *life*.

Shuichi enters through the right door, while I enter through the left. 

Logic - Seat belts on.

I lock my seatbelt. 

Shuichi pulls out his Monopad and taps it on the wheel.

The engine turns on. 

Interfacing - WE NEED TO DO THAT LATER.

“Oh. So that’s why they didn't give us keys…” Shuichi says in sudden realisation. 

“Shuichi…” I look at him.

Shuichi looks away, slightly blushing.

Empathy - Embarrassed.

“...Anything you need to grab before we start leaving?” Shuichi asks, trying to change the subject.

I try to think of anything I would need, crossing my arms.

“Nope! Not that I can...think of, at least.” 

Shuichi nods, and puts the car in reverse. 

“So where are we headed, Shuichi?” 

“Jamrock. That’s where Precinct 41 is located.” 

I decide to take a look at the map on the Monopad. 

We’re at the northmost part of the map, at Martinaise. Precinct 41 is south from us, near Central Jamrock. 

I trace a yellow path, leading from Martinaise all the way to Precinct 41, with jagged edges. 

In the middle, the road separates into two. One leading to an orange line which circles almost the entirety of the map, leading to the ‘Burnt Out Quarter’ and the ‘Old South’, all the way at the bottom of the map. 

The other leading down further. 

It passes by ‘The Pox’, as I look further down south. 

My finger finally reaches Precinct 41, in the middle of the road. 

“Kaede, do you get motion sick easily?” 

“No, not really, why?”

Shuichi reverses carefully through the hole in the fence, and turns the car around in front of the Whirling-In-Rags. He starts driving down the road.

We pass by the fountain, then Hiro’s clairvoyance tent, and finally find ourselves in front of the bridge, right next to Hiro’s services.

Perception (Sight) - The drawbridge is still up. 

A helpline to the ‘East Motor Tract’, the company that controls the drawbridge. 

Logic - You should call them.

“Shuichi, you still have your phone right?”

Shuichi nods, taking his phone out of his breast pocket.

“I’ll call them.”

Shuichi goes into his call history, looking for ‘East Motor Tract’. He starts dialing.

“Ah, good morning.” 

“Yes, it’s me again. Sorry, but could you lower the drawbridge again?”

“Ah...Rantaro already contacted you. Thank you.”

Soon enough, the raised channel bridge starts lowering, and the small gate opens.

We follow the path, and there is an awkward silence in the car.

“Hey, Shuichi, can I turn the radio on?”

“Um, sure. Go ahead.”

I flick the radio player on.

90.3 FM automatically starts playing.

Encyclopedia - I believe this was called Alternative or Indie rock…

“Oh yeah, Shuichi, you don’t know much about music, do you?” I ask, trying to break up the awkward silence.

“Ah...I just kind of follow the trends,” He says, smiling nervously.  
“I don’t know anything about *classical* music, though.”

“I suppose that’s to be expected.” I cross my arms.

“Though I’m sure you’ve heard of some popular composers, right?” I ask.

“Ah, you mean...Chopin, Bach, people like that?”

“Did you know that some of them actually performed at concerts?”

“Ah, you perform too, right, Kaede?”

“Of course! I think so…at least.”

"Still though, I'm quite surprised by how popular you are." He comments. 

"I searched up your concerts on my phone - and apparently, millions of people have watched them." 

"Really?!" I ask with sparkles in my eyes. 

"Yeah...apparently you even performed in front of a king once..." 

Shuichi continued describing my ventures as a pianist. 

"You even held a concert for Julliard representative and other famous pianists, like Joe Hisaishi." 

The small talk continued, as the surroundings gradually change.

3:06 AM

“That’s incredible…how do you keep going?” Shuichi asks.

“I’m just an ordinary high school girl who likes playing the piano! You just have to persevere and be resilient!” I smile.

Another awkward silence... 

Inland Empire - He's talking too. In his head.

“Shuichi, do you ever...”

I try to think up a way to convey this in a way that doesn't make me seem crazy. 

"Hear...voices? In your head?" 

"...What do you mean?" He asks nervously. 

Rhetoric - Which means no.

“Well, *you’re* the Ultimate Detective, aren’t you, Shuichi? You’re probably gonna get famous people asking you for help, or something!” I try to change the subject.

Shuichi grins nervously.

Empathy - Probably not - he thinks.

The road finally splits - we could keep following the path, or turn onto the left.

Shuichi looks at his GPS, and turns left, heading south.

Visual Calculus - The direction of Precinct 41.

I don’t know why...but I feel like you guys kind of *overestimate* how much information I need…

Perception (Sight) - The surroundings change to evergreen greenery, completely covered in snowy industrial dust.

Perception - It gets...really cold.

Looking on my right, I see what seems like an incredibly large building that was abandoned.

Logic - According to the map, likely ‘The Pox’.

Encyclopedia - Once a park. Now, a cemetery shaped like a hospital.

That’s...pretty grim.

Perception (Sight) - On your right, next to the road, is a pack of wolves.

We...should probably leave.

Encyclopedia (Success) - Once a place for reflection and recuperation for patients of somewhere known as the ‘Old Military Hospital’.

And now?

Encyclopedia - A place for drug users to overdose in peace.

… 

But…

Empathy - Shuichi notices your discomfort, and tries to speed through past the hospital.

“...Thanks, Shuichi.”

Instead of questioning you, he simply nods.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - He's gotten used to you constantly reading him.

As we travel down the road, we finally see traces of other buildings, in Jamrock.

And finally, we approach a large building, with the letters ‘PRECINCT 41’ plastered on top.

There is a line of motor garages outside, hunched.

Snow settles on the roof.

Officers rush in and out of the entrance.

Encyclopedia - Another once abandoned building. This one, a silk mill.

Shuichi drives into one of the garages, parking and tapping his Monopad on the wheel again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys like the descriptions I tried to make? I *really* tried to make it seem like a real place, though I don't think it really worked out. Feedback on that would be *especially* great.
> 
> As you can see, descriptions...are *not* my strong suit.


	19. Precinct 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So you *were* serious…” She sighs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I read Chapter 17 back again, and realised that I didn't put the stats for the two thoughts that were completed (because I'm dumb), so here they are!
> 
> Jamais Vu   
-1 Encyclopedia  
+1 Conceptualization  

> 
> It's a Lie!  
+2 Drama  
+1 Logic  
-1 Empathy  
-1 Authority when not interacting with DICE  

> 
> Word of warning, there's a pretty major spoiler for DRV3 here, so if you haven't finished chapter 2 of DRV3, it might be a bad idea to read this chapter. There's also a spoiler for Nekomaru's free time events.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

4:37 AM

The car doors unlock, after Shuichi presses his Monopad on the wheel.

I push open the door, and instantly hear a voice coming from the outside of the garage.

“Look what the road brought in.”

Behind you, a man in a suit and tie stands, arms crossed.

Perception (Sight) - Black hair, forehead wrinkle, and an unshaven beard. His nose is tipped red. A stray hair lands over his eye.

Empathy - His eyes are dark.

Esprit De Corps - He’s seen some things.

“So, you two are the ones that Academy sent, huh?” He looks between you and Shuichi.

Empathy - His eyes convey disappointment.

“I’m Jean. Jean Vicquemare. And you two?”

“I’m Kaede Akamatsu. Ultimate Pianist. It’s nice to meet you!”

“Tch…” The man looks off.

Esprit De Corps - Just...like…*her*. Harry...

“I’m Shuichi Saihara…”

“And *your* talent?”

“...They call me the Ultimate Detective.”

Empathy - Jean’s eyes darken a bit more.

Esprit De Corps - So the tales *are* true. My god...what am I going to do with these two?

“Well, welcome to the *Bloody Murder Station*. The shittiest station in town.” 

“That’s...not true…your station has Captain Pryce...” Shuichi chimes in.

Perception (Sight) - A brown-haired woman walks up behind the man, with her arms behind her back.

“Vic, we need to head back.” She says, sighing.

“Harry’s the only one running the C-Wing right now, and Torson and McLaine are...kind of arguing.”

“Alright, I’ll just give these two the rundown and head back.”

The woman nods, and walks out.

“There are four wings here. A, B, C, and D. Your two friends are in B right now. Head in through the main entrance. Follow the signs or talk to Jules. Simple? Understand?”

“Uh...Mr. Vicquemare?” I call out.

The man lets out an exasperated sigh. 

“What is it?”

“Where do we place the body?”

The man opens up the trunk.

“Where did you *put* the body?” The man asks, slightly perplexed.

“The back of the car.”

The man opens the door, looking at the back seats.

He stares at the orange plastic bag, getting a bit closer.

He unzips the bag for a moment, then immediately covers his nose, and zips it back up.

“I’ll get someone to handle it.” He groans, letting go of his nose slowly.

"Next time, don't put they body in the back of the car. Just put it in the trunk, please." He requests. 

He looks back to you two.

“What are you two waiting for? Get going.” He waves you away.

“Ah...alright.”

Shuichi and I walk out onto the side of the road.

Esprit De Corps - Shivering RCM members run in and out of the station 41, severely understaffed, with the whole of Jamrock to cover.

Looking on my left, I see the vehicles in the other motor garages.

That’s another Chevrolet…

Logic - Probably the other two people.

What is *that*?!

I mentally point at one of the ‘cars’.

Encyclopedia (Success) - The Coupris Kineema. A sports model.

Interfacing (Success) - Able to reach 180 kilometres an hour. Not *too* bad, but still not the best.

Still though...that’s *massive*! It looks like...a carriage on an engine!

Encyclopedia - It *is* called a motor carriage.

Interfacing - The high centre of balance is offset by a large battery bank at the bottom of the cabin.

Interfacing - It’s air-cooled, with rear-mounted comp-

Okay, could I hear about this...another time?

Shuichi takes out his Monopad to get a peek of the time.

4:45 AM

Inland Empire - A bit further down this road is a market. Then a street. Then a lake. 

I look the brick building up and down.

“It’s pretty large for a precinct…” Shuichi mumbles.

I push open the door leading into the station.

“Kaede Akamatsu and Shuichi Saihara?” A man asks, from the counter.

Perception (Sight) - He has wrinkles all over his face. He’s holding a cigarette in his left hand, and wearing a dark grey suit. In front of him is a small microphone.

Interfacing - Perhaps a radio?

Perception (Sight) - His black hair is pulled back, and his eyes are a deep black.

Empathy - He’s lost something.

Esprit De Corps - The Oldboy...

“Yup!” I nod.

“B-Wing. Head down that corridor…” He points to your right.

“Turn left, and third door on the right.”

“Thank you!” I smile.

“You’re welcome.”

Shuichi follows awkwardly behind me, as we walk down the corridor.

Perception (Sight) - A sign above you says ‘B and D Wings’.

On my left and right, I spotted several rooms, with different names.

‘Nurse’

‘Intensive Care’

‘Lazareth’

Encyclopedia - A doctor, basically.

‘Medication’

And other doors down the hall.

Logics - Medical items.

Perception (Sight) - Not many people here…

Esprit De Corps - The Lazareth here is more likely to punish you than give you time off.

Isn’t that...kind of a problem if someone was actually sick or something?

We finally come to a turn in the corridor.

Perception (Sight) - The sign pointing to the left says ‘B-Wing’. The one pointing to the right says ‘D-Wing’.

As we turn left, we open the door, and find another corridor.

This place is pretty big…

THOUGHT COMPLETE

MY NAME...IS NEKOMARU NIDAI!!

_The Ultimate Team Manager. Born with a heart defect, he couldn’t play sports, or participate in anything physical. Then, one day, he met a boy who changed everything in his life. He changed his outlook. Why does it matter if *he* couldn’t play sports, if he could share the victories and defeats with a team?_

+1 Authority  
+1 Physical Instrument

Nekomaru...has a *heart defect*?

Encyclopedia - One that likely...only permits him to live a few more years at most.

I...I didn't know…

Volition - It's okay. No one did.

Empathy - And for good reason.

We continue walking down the hall, looking at the doors on the right.

First door, ‘Planning’.

Second door, ‘Finances’.

Third door, ‘Visiting Room’.

“That’s the one, isn’t it?” I point at the third door.

Shuichi nods.

“I think so…”

I pull on the handle, and push the door open.

The moment I entered the room...

“Hey there, Kaede!” A purple-haired man sits in a chair, smiling at me.

Perception (Sight) - The man has purple hair, that is *ridiculously* spiky and gelled, along with a short goatee.

Perception (Sight) - The man is also wearing a purple jacket over a white unbuttoned blazer, and a white shirt with a design on it. The jacket also has a galaxy design on the inside. Somehow, he’s keeping the jacket on, even only with one arm in.

Savoir Faire - He’s wearing it like that so others can see the galaxy design.

“Kaede.” The brown-haired woman, who is sitting next to the man, gives a slight wave.

Perception (Sight) - The woman has dark-brown hair, tied into twintails. In front of her eyes, are straight bangs, covering her crimson eyes. There’s also a dark mole, right underneath her left eye.

Perception (Sight) - She’s wearing a red sailor uniform, with a scarf and a black skirt.

I wave awkwardly.

The man stands up, rushing behind me.

“Sidekick! How’ve you been doing?” He slaps Shuichi’s back, grinning.

“Ah! Kaito...” 

I turn back to see the girl still staring at me.

Empathy - She’s...expecting something from you.

“Hi...Maki?” I start sweating a little.

She looks away.

“So you *were* serious…” She sighs.

“Ah...I’m Kaed-”

“I know already. You don’t have to introduce yourself.”

She looks back to me. “Maki Harukawa. Ultimate Assassin.”

“Ultimate Assassin?!”

Hope’s Peak accepts *assassins*?!

Hand/Eye Coordination - *She* might have some guns! Ask if you could have one!

She nods calmly.

“You were right about Kaito lying earlier.” 

“At the time I thought you were lying about your amnesia, but...seeing how you came into the room and didn't instantly try to hug me, I’m having my doubts…” She looks down.

“She always acted like she didn't like it, but she’s already missing it!” The purple-haired man smile somehow grows larger.

“Do you want to die?” Maki stares the man down.

The man laughs nervously.

“Though when we introduce ourselves to others, I’ll label myself as the Ultimate Child Caregiver, so keep that in mind.”

“That’s...probably for the best.” I cross my arms, nodding.

“Oops, I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I?” The man chimes in.

“I’m Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars and the Ultimate Astronaut!” He bumps his fists.

“Actually, that first title isn’t official. He’s just the Ultimate Astronaut.”

“Sidekick?!” Kaito shouts with an exaggerated sense of betrayal.

Empathy - Maki’s hiding a quiet chuckle and smile.

“Well, what are waiting for?” Maki places a finger under her eye.

“We should get going.”

Shuichi nods.

“We’re still working on the case. We just got the body moved, but we still have a lot to do.”

Kaito gives a thumbs up.

“Alright! Let’s do this!”

“Wait, you two are following us to Martinaise?” I ask.

“Yup! Ms Yukizome told us to follow you guys and help you out with the case!”

“In other words...this is a four person case now.” Maki sighs.

“Ah...that reminds me…” Shuichi pulls out his Monopad.

Perception (Hearing) - Your Monopad just vibrated.

I unzip my bag and pull out mine as well, seeing ‘THE HANGED WOMAN’ has been updated.

Tapping on it, I see that the title has been updated.

‘THE HANGED WOMAN’  
\- Kaede Akamatsu, Shuichi Saihara, Maki Harukawa & Kaito Momota

It’s...getting pretty crowded.

“We don’t have much time. We should head back now.” Shuichi suggests.

I nod.

We walk out of the room, and tread our way through the confusing building, following the signs.

We push open the door leading into the main building…

Kaito continues talking, deciding to tell a story about how he once found a treasure map.

“So, I started my great adventure…”

Drama - He’s...madame, the man is...so...boisterous that even I cannot tell if it is a lie.

Logic - But it probably isn’t a real story.

“My rival shouted “THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR HOLDING BACK!” and then, turns out, it was a setup!”

...I would like to say I believe it, but…

Logic - This wouldn’t happen in real life.

As we continue walking in the corridors...

“Hey, Kaede!”

“Hmm? What is it, Kaito?”

“Can you teach me how to play the piano?” He says, smiling.

“Huh?!” I pull back.

“What?”

“I...just never thought *you* would be interested in playing the piano…”

“Of course I would! It’s gonna help me when I go to space.”

“...How?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.

“Of course, what if I meet an alien?! What would I say to them?”

“But...we don’t even know if aliens even exist, do we?”

“Well...we haven’t confirmed any yet, but it’s still silly to think that humans are alone.” He starts messing with his spiky hair.

“So...you want to communicate with aliens...using the piano?” I ask curiously.

“Not *just* by piano, any music would work! Like singing…”

He’s…he’s been watching too much anime.

Encyclopedia - Of course! There’s this one mang-

Ooookay, you can tell me about that later.

“What’s with that face, Kaede? You lose your nerve?!” He bumps his fists.

“Or what, you think it’s impossible? I think it’s *totally* possible! After all, they even made a whole space program about it!”

“A space program?”

“Yeah! The Voyager Golden Record!”

Encyclopedia - The Voyager Golden Records are phonograph records that were aboard two Voyager Spacecraft, which was launched in 1977. They were selected to contain sounds, images and music to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth - in case there were any intelligent extraterrestrials. 

Logic - They also act as a time capsule.

“The ones that were shot up into space on the Voyager Spacecraft?”

“Yeah! The Voyager. It was a message for aliens if they found it. Greetings in languages, images of landscapes and music!”

That’s actually pretty interesting…

“There was another spacecraft, too! The Pioneer, which has a message on a plaque. If aliens *do* find them, they may try to contact Earth!”

“Though I’m quite surprised you know about the Voyager aircraft. You a space junkie too, Kaede?” He asks.

“Uh...not really, no.”

He frowns a bit.

“Huh...still though, it’s really interesting, isn’t it?!” He goes back to his smile.

“Yeah! Contact with aliens...maybe it’ll happen one day.” I smile.

“Yeah! In the future, I, Kaito Momota, the Luminary of the Stars, will be the first human to *ever* come in contact with an alien!”

How does he act so confident?!

But...communication with aliens by music...that might be possible. Music, after all, can transcend words and languages…

Empathy - You’re starting to sound like him.

We walk past the person at the front desk again, and I give him a smile as we pass. He gives a nod in response.

People rush in and out of the front door at the entrance.

Ah...wait.

“Could you guys wait here a bit?” I request.

Shuichi nods.

“Sure. What is it? You worried?” Kaito asks.

I approach the person at the front desk.

Um...how do I put this?

“Sir, *if* a...shootout was about to occur, how long will the RCM take to show up in Martinaise?”

He raises an eyebrow.

“4 hours earliest from this station, but it’ll probably be later because of traffic. Unless the ‘shootout’ occurs as early as you guys showed up today…” He looks at his watch. 

“You might want to contact Precinct 57 instead, though they may not fully agree on showing up.” He takes a drag of his cigarette.

“Ah...thanks.”

That’s...not good.

We walk outside, seeing people rush in and out of the station again.

We tread down the side of the road for about half a minute, and finally reach the garages.

“Oh, just to make sure, the other Chevrolet…”

“It’s ours, yeah! It’s locked, so we don’t have to worry about that.”

We walk back to Shuichi’s car, seeing a bald man, placing the body bag onto a stretcher.

He looks at all of you in slight disdain, but only says “Good luck with the case, kids.”

Perception (Sight) - The man looks old. He’s wearing a brown singlet, showing off his large muscles.

Esprit De Corps - “The Torso”.

He tosses a key at you.

Hand/Eye Coordination (Success) - Like the cool cop you are, you catch it while it was flying mid air towards you.

"Not bad, kid." He smiles.

Interfacing - The key in your hand is no normal key - it's a remote! Probably for the car.

"Use it to lock the car doors while you're away, alright? Just return it once you guys are done with the case." 

He looks at Shuichi. "Sorry that they didn't give you the key earlier. The guys here don't really trust you."

Shuichi doesn't say anything, just pulling his cap down.

Shuichi opens the door to the driver's seat, while I open the door opposite him again.

Kaito and Maki get into the back of the car.

“What is that smell?!” Kaito covers his nose, while Maki sits back.

“A dead body.” Maki says casually.

I pass Shuichi the car key.

He presses his Monopad on the wheel.


	20. Back to Martinaise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Uh…we...” I trail off at the start of the sentence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh...something kinda popped up this week. Chapters should go back to their normal release...'schedule', hopefully by next week, but I'm not sure yet. 
> 
> Apologies for the late chapter!

4:57 AM

Perception (Hearing) - Way up above you, a few cars drive by.

Encyclopedia - The 8/81, crossing from the Eminent Domain.

“Traffic’s starting to pick up, Shuichi. You should be careful.” I warn.

“Ah...alright.” 

Inland Empire - He’s done it more than a thousand times at this point. He’s gonna be fine.

Done *what*?

Kaito, still pinching his nose, looks at his Monopad.

“We were headed towards Martinaise, right?” He asks.

“Yup!” I nod.

“Though...we should probably be careful…” Shuichi mutters.  
“Uh...any reason why?” Kaito asks.

“Um...we think there’s going to be a...public execution, later.”

5:03 AM

Maki places a finger under her lips.

“...Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu and Peko Pekoyama…”

Kaito looks away.

“So...you’re telling me that these two people, who are sent by Hope’s Peak to protect Rantaro Amami...are planning on killing all the members of Kokichi’s ‘DICE’?”

“If we don’t find a concrete suspect by then, it’s...possible.”

“What do you mean ‘it’s possible’?”

“They’re currently investigating the death, and it’s to decide if they’re going to execute the *whole* of DICE, or just a few members.” 

Maki looks off, deep in thought.

“I...think I might be able to take them on.” Maki nods to herself.

“But...they’re-”

“Yes, the Ultimate Yakuza and Ultimate Swordswoman. But...in the right conditions…”

Kaito looks at Maki disapprovingly.

“I still don’t think weapons really suit women…”

Endurance - Now *this* is a guy that I can get behind!

Because...of the...sort of far-right thing he said?

Empathy - Don’t blame Kaito for it. He was raised that way.

Encyclopedia - Might even be referred to as...*facism*.

Endurance - It’s not...facism! It’s…*traditionalism*.

Oh my god.

Maki just looks away, ignoring Kaito.

We continue on our path to Martinaise, as other cars speed by.

6:10 AM

Perception (Hearing) - Kaito’s stomach just growled. Loudly.

“Kaito, you hungry?” I ask.

“Yeah! I haven’t eaten in a bit. What about you two?” He asks.

Uh…

When *did* we last eat?

Logic - Never. Not since you woke up yesterday.

“Uh…we...” I trail off at the start of the sentence.

“Didn't eat.” Maki finishes the sentence.

“Yeah, that.” I say, slightly nervous.

“Shuichi, how are you going to overcome your weakness like this?!” Kaito places his hand over his hair, as if he was saluting, sweating a little.

“Ah...it...just slipped my mind, I suppose.” Shuichi says nervously, while driving, trying to avoid hitting the other vehicles.

Maki sighs.

“I only had to remind *children* at my orphanage to eat.” She looks off.

“Well, I guess we could be considered children then!” I smile.

“Do you want to die?”

Authority (Failed) - With just her eyes darkening, she subdues you.

“...Uh...I'm sorry!”

“But seriously...you two…” She looks between Shuichi and I worriedly.

“We’re gonna eat together now, alright?”

“But I usually skip brea-”

“No.” Maki cuts Shuichi off.

Shuichi starts sweating a little, and decides not to disagree any further.

Maki looks out the window.

Esprit De Corps - This is for the best.

6:27 AM

We start speeding by the Pox.

Perception (Hearing) - “The Pox…” Maki mutters to herself.

“What is it, Maki?” I ask.

She narrows her eyes at the building.

“It’s nothing. I...just remembered a kill I’ve done before.”

“Uh...really?” I start sweating.

“Yeah...you know, I once turned a five-story building to a four-story one.”

The rest of the ride was dead silent.

Authority - Maki being there makes it hard to talk casually.

6:57 AM

Shuichi taps his Monopad on the wheel, and we start exiting the car.

As we drop out in front of the Whirling-In-Rags, Shuichi presses the *LOCK* button on the car remote.

“Alright! Let’s get this investigation started!” I pump my fists.

“No. Have you forgotten? Breakfast first.”  


I laugh nervously.

“Right...”

Maki pushes the door into the Whirling open, as we follow behind her.

[The jukebox continues its cheerful tune once again.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9-SgkvM8Mw)

Perception (Sight) - On your left, the door to the kitchen lays open.

Perception (Sight) - The girl in the wheelchair is sitting right before the counter, talking to Byakuya.

Perception (Hearing) (Success)  \- “It doesn’t have to make any sense for it to happen for Monaca!” 

What’s going on?

Composure - The girl’s agitated. Her eyes are narrowed at the man behind the counter.

“*How in the world* can I get a repairman up here, in *Martinaise* of all places, in five minutes?” Byakuya sneers.

“Are you sure?” The girl starts tearing up a bit.

Our group of four approach the counter.

Maki turns around to us three.

“What do you guys want?”

I look at the menu.

Perception (Sight) - FRESH FISH! WHERE ARE THEY?!

“I’ll...go with the pan-fried salmon.”

“Steak!” Kaito smiles.

“...I’ll get the suzuki.”

“You prefer fish over meat, too?” I ask Shuichi.

“Ah...yeah.”

Perception (Hearing) - *You* can’t see it, but charmer over here i-

Suggestion - Shut up!

Wait, weren't you supposed to help me *resist* charms? 

Volition - He's...not doing a very good job.

I smile a bit, after giving a little giggle.

  
“Alright. Salmon, Steak and Suzuki.” Maki recounts.

“Grilled or raw, Shuichi?”

“Grilled, please.”

“You guys should go sit down.” Maki points towards one of the tables, waving the three of us off.

“Ah, alright.” Shuichi mutters, as we walk towards one of the benches.

Maki places down three notes on the table.

Perception (Sight) - 1000 yen each.

Logic - 3000 in all.

I...already knew that.

Perception (Hearing) - The door to the mess hall opens.

Perception (Sight) - A huge group walks into the Whirling.

Logic - Seems like our ‘DICE’ showed up.

“Are we...going to talk to DICE?” I ask Shuichi.

“....Everything points towards DICE. We need to talk to them - regardless of how difficult it will be.”

“It can’t be *that* bad!” Kaito gives a thumbs up.

“I almost forgot... Byakuya told me about them yesterday. A group of nasty, unruly and loud people...”

Rhetoric - He left out the part about the whole *clown mask* thing.

Authority - He probably felt like it would make him sound *ridiculous*.

Perception (Sight) - This is gonna take a while...but...we might as well.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - Eight...no, ten people.

Perception (Sight) - First person, a dark blonde twin-tailed girl, wearing the same outfit as the rest. She has two red buttons on her shirt, with stitches on the right side of the ‘uniform’. 

Perception (Sight) - Her mask only covers half her face. The masks’ nose is much smaller, and a darker red. The eyes on the mask are closed.

Suggestion - Trying to seem ‘cute’. The blushmarks attest to this too. 

Perception (Sight) - She’s wearing the checkered scarf like the rest, but it’s almost impossible to see the knot.

Perception (Sight) - Second, the yellow-haired boy from earlier.

Composure - He’s a lot more laid back now.

Perception (Sight) - He has his hands behind his head, with three stitches on the left side of his uniform and yellow buttons.

Perception (Sight) - His mask is stained yellow, with a creepy grin. There’s a small, dark brown nose on the mask. The eyes on his mask are also what looks like buttons, instead of the normal sparkling stars or closed eyes.

Composure - Trying to creep people out. But you’re fine.

Perception (Sight) - Third, a plain boy, with his hands in his pockets. There are four or five stitches on the right side of his uniform. 

Perception (Sight) - He has a much more pronounced ‘shoulder strap’, that is present on the rest, but much more prominent on *his* uniform.

Perception (Sight) - He’s wearing a white mask, with a red nose and slightly larger lips. His eyes are the standard ‘sparkling’. He also has a strap around his left leg.

Perception (Sight) - His hair is…’normal’, to say the least. He has dark hair, with a boring haircut.

Perception (Sight) - Next, a man standing straight up, with a hand on his hip.

Perception (Sight) - Instead of a shoulder strap, he seems to have a belt instead, wrapping all around his body.

Must be hard to put on and take off…

Visual Calculus - He’s noticeably taller than most of DICE.

Perception (Sight) - There’s four stitches on the left side of his uniform, but he has no buttons.

Perception (Sight) - His mask is lightly stained, and it has a light red nose, closed eyes and large lips.

Perception (Sight) - He *also* has leg straps, and is blond.

Perception (Sight) - After that, an *incredibly* large man. His uniform has four stitches, two on each side.

Perception (Sight) - He lacks the shoulder and leg straps the others have, and the mask barely covers his face.

Maybe he’s the person who weighed over 200 kilograms? 

Visual Calculus - Possible.

Wait, now I’m confused. If he *did* weigh over that amount…

Logic - Then who carried the body?

Perception (Sight) - His mask has the sparkling eyes, with a light red nose and smaller, but prevalent red lips.

Perception (Sight) - You can also see the man’s eyes through the holes. He’s also...bald. I think. At least from this angle.

Perception (Sight) - Sixth. A tall man, with a brown, long fringe, covering one of the eyes of his mask.

Perception (Sight) - His uniform has what seems like 5 or 6 buttons, all different colours. The stitches this time go all the way down in the middle.

Perception (Sight) - His mask has sparkling eyes, with a light red nose and slightly smaller lips.

Perception (Sight) - Seventh, a short boy, wearing a cap and a cape.

Authority - The leader.

Logic - Which means Kokichi.

Perception (Sight) - He has loose leg straps, along with a yellowish mask.

Perception (Sight) - The mask has a sparkling right eye, but also a feather, flame-like design for the left eye, with a blue tear dropping from it.

Perception (Sight) - The mask has red lips, that only cover about half the mask.

Perception (Sight) - The uniform has five buttons, all different colours. The stitches are on the *right* side of the uniform.

Barely able to see the checkered scarf...

Perception (Sight) - Eighth. The ‘gardener’ from earlier.

Perception (Sight) - He still dons the red afro, with the mask that has sparkling eyes, a dark red nose and *incredibly* large lips.

Perception (Sight) - This is one of the ones that you can actually see the inside of the mouth.

Perception (Sight) - His uniform is pretty basic, with stitches on the left and right sides. Nothing noticeable other than that.

Perception (Sight) - Ninth. A short, brunette girl. She’s wearing a mask with the standard sparkly eyes, with a dark red nose. However, the lips on the mouth of this one isn’t a creepy grin, but instead, a small frown.

Perception (Sight) - Her uniform lacks the buttons and stitches that the rest have.

Perception (Sight) - Last. A woman with short, pink hair. The mask she dons has sparkly eyes, like most of the crew. The mask has *insanely* large purple lips that cover the entire mask, along with a dark red nose.

Perception (Sight) - Her uniform is the most modified of the rest. The top is...changed, to say the least.

Suggestion - An amateur’s technique. Looks aren’t enough to fool me!

Inland Empire - They definitely are.

Wait, what about their shoes?

Visual Calculus - The yellow-haired boy. Size 40.

Visual Calculus - The plain boy. Size 41, light step.

Visual Calculus - The pink-haired woman. Size 43.

Visual Calculus - The man with the afro. Size 46.

Visual Calculus - Kokichi Oma. Size 39.

Visual Calculus - The man with the long fringe. Size 45.

Visual Calculus - The large man. Size 46.

Visual Calculus - The small girl. Size 38.

Visual Calculus - The blond man. Size 44.

Visual Calculus - The twin-tailed girl. Size 39.

Wait...there’s something wrong here.

Visual Calculus - The smoother right sole and another size 44 are missing.

Logic (Failed) - So...what does this mean?

Wait, so *if* this is connected…Kokichi and the yellow-haired boy aren’t involved?

Visual Calculus - Not necessarily. We *do* know that they weren’t there for the lynching, however.

Half Light - It’s always possible that the *entire* Martinaise was involved.

Visual Calculus - Maybe. We have time for questions later.

We could just ask them no-

Authority - No. Remember who’s *asking* you to eat food.

Right…

They walk into the mess hall.

I look back at the counter, to see what’s taking Maki so long to return.

She’s staring down at the girl in the wheelchair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Once again, apologies for the late chapter. The next chapter may be late as well, but it'll go back to normal at latest...a week from now.
> 
> If you felt this chapter was pretty boring - not gonna lie I kinda rushed it. (So if there are any contradictions or discrepancies, please do point them out.)


	21. DICE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why was it there, if you *did* hang him?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter felt...'disconnected'.
> 
> The DICE characters are up to interpretation, so I decided to make them sort of like the Hardie Boys, but just less tough and more willing to cooperate.
> 
> Hopefully, you enjoy this chapter.

7:00 AM

“You’re not a kid, are you?” Maki’s eyes darken.

“Huh?” The girl looks at Maki, puzzled.

Drama - Something’s...off, Madame.

“...” Maki just looks away, back to Byakuya.

Perception (Hearing) \- “Give it an hour, woman. Unfortunately, we actually *care* about the food we put out here, and I have a large group to take care of.” He crosses his arms, looking towards DICE. 

Maki nods, and makes a beeline for our table.

“That girl…” Maki bites her nails.

Composure - This is the first time she’s actually been...rattled.

“What is it, Maki?” I ask.

“It’s...nothing.” She sits down on the bench, next to Kaito.

She looks at the mess hall, taking notice of the noise.

“Kokichi’s group?” She inquires.

“Yeah. They just showed up.” Kaito says, staring at the group.

“We should talk to them soon.” Shuichi suggests.

“We might as well do it now, shouldn’t we?” I ask.

“...It might be better if we just walk past them.” Maki looks at the door.

Authority - A show of Authority.

“I would prefer if we just talked to them now, to be honest. We don’t have any other leads…”

I open up my Monopad and scroll to Journal.

<strike>Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
Start the Initial Interviews, first starting with Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.  
Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.  
</strike> Find the person smuggling The Despair Video.  
Interview DICE about their involvement in the murder.  
<strike>Find out the identity of the woman killed.</strike>  
Find out who killed the woman.  
<strike>Name the case.  
</strike> Type up a summary of the case.

“The smuggler, DICE, then who killed the woman.” I cross my arms.

“That’s not much to work with right now…”

Reaction Speed - Wait! There’s something we could do! The woman is the Ultimate Assassin, right?

What...about it?

Reaction Speed - We could ask *her* about the bullet!

Ah! Good idea!

“Hey, Maki! I just realised something.” I start searching through my bag.

Maki sighs.

“What?”

Feeling the plastic in my hand, I pull out the small ziplock bag.

“Can you tell what shot this bullet?” I ask, passing it to her.

She picks up the ziplock bag, and stares at it.

“...A jacketed bullet.” She comments.

“A *jacketed* one?” Shuichi asks, slightly surprised.

“Definitely not from a muzzleloader that you can find in Martinaise…” She stares at the bullet.

“Even the RCM uses ordinary unjacketed bullets…” Shuichi comments.

“It’s unique, right?” Kaito asks.

“It shouldn’t be too hard to find the person, then!” He smiles, clenching his fist.

Inland Empire - You won’t be doing that any time soon. It’ll take a while…

Maki continues staring at the bullet.

“Wait...this…” Maki’s eyes widen.

“I...think this is a rifle bullet, but…” 

“This...isn’t like anything I’ve seen before…” She bites her nails again.

“How?” I ask.

“It’s a 4.46 mm bullet. The closest one I’ve heard of is the 4.6, but even that isn’t used for rifles.” She looks away.

Logic - A rifle...and 4.46 mm…

Hand/Eye Coordination (Success) - The 4.46 calibre. Most often paired with the ‘Belle-Magrave’ rifles. Revacholian manufacturer.

Encyclopedia - It dominated battlefields fifty years ago, during the Antecentennial re-

Okay, I don’t need to know about *that*. Is anyone still *making* any of these rifles?

Hand/Eye Coordination - No. But a major firearm manufacturer, Zieleger, got a bunch of these rifles just...lying around. Most broken, however.

Who are the most likely to use a rifle that dominated fights *fifty* years ago?

Hand/Eye Coordination - Antique collectors? Guerilla fighters in other countries, and maybe some Jamrock bangers. You’re probably looking for a well-preserved antique.

“Kaede? You figure something out?” Kaito asks hopefully.

“Huh? Ah...I think so.” I mutter.

“It’s a...Belle-Magrave rifle, probably.”

“A Belle-Magrave rifle?” Maki mutters to herself.

Her eyes widen in sudden realisation.

“A breech-loading rifle. An antique…there can’t be many around Martinaise or Revachol in general…”

“That’s...probably a good thing, isn’t it?” Shuichi says, sweating a little.

Maki nods.

“The use of breechloaders were already banned quite a few years ago. I was trained to use them, but never actually did.”

“So...we’re looking for an antiques enthusiast?” Kaito asks.

“That...doesn’t seem all that likely.”

“I suppose we just have to find the gun now…” Shuichi mumbles.

Maki looks at the clock on her Monopad.

7:10 AM

“We still have almost an entire hour to work with. We could talk to DICE now.” She points towards the group of people.

I nod, and place the plastic bag into my backpack for the last time.

We stand up collectively, and start walking towards the large group of people.

As we approach the mess hall…

“Let me handle this.” The man in the red afro stands in front of the door, with crossed arms. He turns to us.

“You seem...different.” I suggest.

He looks between you and Shuichi.

“You kids should head home. This isn’t a district known for being…’hospitable’ for the RCM.”

His mask’s eyes trace yours, stern.

Perception - Perceptive.

“If you’re looking for information on the murder, you’re looking for him.” He points behind him, towards the man with a fringe.

Perception (Sight) - He’s standing in the middle of the room, but also the *only* one standing excluding the man in the red afro.

Authority - He’s second-in-command, after Kokichi.

“But remember. No strong-arming. Nothing official. Martinaise *does not* recognize your authority to arrest people.”

Shuichi nods.

“That’s fine.”

We approach the man standing in the middle of the hall.

The man points to me.

“This is where you say *your* bit.”

“Kaede.” Shuichi mutters.

Esprit De Corps - He’s leaving it to you.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - Class 130’s disgraced detective scans the room, leaving the speaking to *you*. He *knows* you’ll do better. He trusts you. Maybe against his better judgement. Maybe not.

“We need to talk about the Hanged Woman.”

The man looks around.

“See! Told you they’re boring!” Kokichi hollers from the back of the room.

“You *really* took your time, didn't you?” The yellow-haired boy asks.

“You might want to ask your questions *now*.” The tall man, still standing outside the mess hall, chuckles.

Visual Calculus - We’ve done a headcount. It matches. But we need to get a better look at the large guy.

Visual Calculus (Success) - ...My first count was off. He’s...150? I think. Probably carried the victim over - exceeding 200 kilos.

That...makes sense.

Visual Calculus - But still...something’s off. The smuggler of the Despair Video is still missing, along with one other person. 

Logic - Actually, are DICE involved in the smuggling of the videos as well?

Maybe. I suppose it’s not...*impossible*, but...would Kokichi really be okay with spreading despair?

Visual Calculus - Hey. You’ve stood there for about four seconds, not saying anything. Now is a good time to hit them with the questions. Where’s the other two people? There should be twelve of them, as otherwise, the footprints don't match.

“What’s with her?” The twin-tailed girl stares at me, head tilted.

Authority - Hit them straight with the first question! Did they do it?

“The woman in the backyard. Did all of you do it?”

“My god, you’re boring.” The man in the fringe messes with the cuffs of his uniform.

Visual Calculus - They’re too big anyways.

“Why was there a container belt around the dead woman’s neck?”

“Container belt? Like the ones we use in the harbour?”

“Uh...yeah.”

“Because we took it. And then hung her out back.”

“*We* did this. Together. All of us. Until she died. That’s why there’s a belt around her neck.”

“Really? *All* of you?” I ask.

The man nods.

Reaction Speed (Success) - There’s a catch hidden. He didn't confess so you could just...take them all away. It’s too simple.

I narrow my eyes.

“What’s...the catch?”

The man behind me quickly chimes in.

“There is *no* catch. This group of honest people have come forth to tell you what happened - so you don’t waste any time.”

Rhetoric - All ten. Together. They’re diluting the responsibility. An anti-arrest tactic.

“You just...murdered her? Without…*any* remorse? At all?” I ask.

Composure (Failed) - What’s the point of being composed in front of *these* hooligans anyways?

“Yup!” Kokichi shouts out from the back.

“Do *you* feel remorse for the things that you’ve done? The lives you’ve ruined by arresting people and sending them to the chaise?”

The pink-haired woman joins in.

“Or sent them to Reunion to rot. For ten years, twenty, thirty, for *life*?! Did you feel remorse for them as well?”

Perception - Under the mask, the man grins.

“Who called the shots that night?” Kaito asks.

“Are you *stupid*?” The man outside asks.

“What? No!” Kaito denies vehemently.

“There will be no singling anyone out. It’s as simple as that.”

Empathy - You can almost see the smirk forming under his mask, as he tilts his head.

“Do you think you could arrest *all* of us? Cause you can’t arrest one of DICE without arresting *all* of them.”

Rhetoric - A trick question. Don’t let him lead the conversation!

“No, but seriously, who calls the shots here?” I ask the man with the fringe.

“Who do you think does?”

Empathy - He’s more amused than angry.

I point to the back.

“Kokichi does.”

The man chuckles.

"She's not wrong!" Kokichi yells. 

“I’ll give you that one.”

“But when Kokichi runs DICE, he does so…’administratively’. On that night, everyone acted as one man.” The tall man chimes in again.

“When did the hanging occur?” I ask.

“You don’t have to keep answering her questions.” The pink-haired woman reminds the man with the fringe.

“I know. Relax.” He turns back to me.

“We killed her last Sunday night.”

“When did she show up here?”

“He came around about three weeks ago. When that...creepy ass guy came over.”

“The creepy ass guy?” Kaito questions.

“You mean Rantaro?” Shuichi asks.

“No. I mean that damn chef. God damn, I’ve seen some creepy guys in the past, but still…” He plays with his fringe.

Logic - The one Rantaro told you about. Teruteru Hanamura.

“I still can’t believe he hit on you.” The pink haired girl rubs the top of the twin tailed girl’s head.

“You’re running out of questions, detectives.” The man in the red afro turns to you.

“Don’t waste your last few.”

“Why did you guys kill her?”

Perception (Sight) - In the room, everyone twitches when they hear ‘kill’.

“Why?” He hisses.

“Because she stepped out of line in *our* town.”

“She...stepped out of line?”

“A LIVE DAMN GRENADE. *RIGHT HERE*, IN OUR BAR!” The blond man from the back speaks up.

Empathy - This one has a special gripe with her.

“I can’t prove it, but I know for a fact that Hope’s Peak sent him here.”

“One night, she came in, walked up to the mic, and went: I’m part of a Yakuza family and I’m gonna fuck all of you up. Not a fun person.” The brown-haired girl comments.

Conceptualization - This is a serious violation of the karaoke code.

“What did she do...besides the crimes against karaoke?”

“Sexually assaulted a girl. Harassed people. Pretty sure she threatened to kill someone as a warning…” Kokichi comments from the back, with his hands behind his head.

Rhetoric - Sexual assault, harassment, *then* threats. It’s...a de-escalation. Why?

Empathy (Success) - He regrets mentioning it. Hopes you didn't notice.

“Even said that she’d kill us all if we didn't open the gates, and let the strikebreakers in. *AND* that was before she started coming here.”

“Said it was her favourite joint now. Started coming every night, continued harassing people…”

“What about the...girl that she...sexually assaulted?” I ask, sweating a little.

“You’re not getting a name. I’m not discussing it. It’s a Martinaise matter.”

Rhetoric - They seem...hesitant. They don’t want to talk about it.

“How did you...kill her?” Shuichi asks, steering the conversation away.

“We hung her. That’s it. Wasn’t that obvious?” The man in the fringe asks.

Shuichi quickly jumps in.

“No ligature marks. Her hands *were not* tied. How do you explain that?”

Reaction Speed - He went in for the leg sweep - and they did not see it coming.

“Uh...we...huh…” He gets frustrated.

“Look, I’m not gonna play Twenty Questions. We killed him. That’s it.”

“I knocked him out. That’s it.” The man in the red afro answers.

…Something isn’t right...

Composure (Failed) - They’re all composed, though. Nothing wrong here.

Inland Empire - Damn.

Wait! There’s one important question left!

“...How does the *bullet* in his head factor into this, then? If you hung him like you say you did to kill him.”

“Huh?” The man in the fringe starts playing with the cuffs of his uniform again.

Kokichi shakes his head.

“Told you guys! They’re not that dumb! Well, maybe Kaito is.”

“Hey!”

“There was a bullet in the man’s brain,” Shuichi looks through his Monopad.

“Why was it there, if you *did* hang him?”

“Someone used the body as target practice. How the hell am *I* supposed to know?”

Rhetoric - Tight-lipped, suddenly.

“The questions are over.” The man in the red afro steps in, before you can get an answer.

“You got the cause of death. Post-mortem is up to you. This is *not* a cross-examination.”

“So...what do we do now?” I ask.

“Nothing.” He states.

“Go back to your Hope’s Peak or whatever.”

“I think we’ll stick around, thank you very much.” Kaito comments.

“You still haven’t explained the bullet I found in the man’s head.” I try to push for an answer.

“You still on about that bullet?” The yellow-haired boy in the back asks.

“How did it get there?”

“Well, there are so many bullets in the world, and just so many heads, you know?” The black-haired boy chimes in.

“It’s only logical that at some point, they just *had* to end up in one of their heads…”

He taps on the side of his head.

“Statistically speaking.”

“Did you guys shoot him?”

“Shit! Maybe I shot him. I was drunk last night. You know me when I’m drunk…” The blond man shouts frustratedly.

“This is getting ridiculous…” The tall man standing outside mutters.

We’ll figure this out sooner or later…

Logic - It’s not like you blew it wide open, but there’s a crack, at least.

Reaction Speed - Ask about the footprints!

“...Two of you are missing.” I comment, matter-of-factly.”

“What are you talking about? There’s ten of us here. There’s only ten members of DICE, and we’re all here!”

“Actually, maybe she’s talking about them, you kn-”

Reaction Speed - *Them*? So that’s definitely 2 or more people.

“Sh!” The brown-haired girl quickly shushes the large man.

“So there’s more than one more DICE member.” Maki comments off-handedly.

“We’re *not* talking about this.”

“You’re not cops here. Don’t go digging around if you don’t want a bullet in the back of your head. I’m watching.” The blond man says sternly.

“Good. Then we’re all watching each other.” 

Esprit De Corps - There’s no point pushing, she thinks. This is already a victory.

“Guess what? We’ve also connected your group to smuggling, too.” I try to scare them a bit more.

“Like *hell* you have!” The man crosses his arms.

“Did you know that there’s an abandoned lorry at the intersection, used to move *very* illegal items from Terminal B to Jamrock?” I ask.

“The person driving it was present. It was one of you. Kaede connected the footprints.” Shuichi says, still scrolling through his notes.

“Mighty interesting theory you two have.” He plays with his cuffs again.

“But it ain’t us. Not DICE.” He shrugs.

Drama - As far as I can tell...a truth, Madame.

Wait...the other two people then…

Logic - They’re *not* a part of DICE.

“So the other two people are the ones that run the thing, huh?”

“What about you fuck off?” He waves you off.

“Mind your own business. There’s no other two people in DICE.”

“Oh, and before I forget.” I quickly push even further.

“I talked to Rantaro. The mercenary you hanged - just a warning, they’re coming for your group.”

Perception (Sight) - Kokichi flinches in the back.

“They’re forming a *tribunal*. And they’re coming for you.”

Shuichi starts sweating.

Empathy - *Should* we push this hard?

“Let them come!” The blond man shouts.

“We’re armed. *We*’ll be fine.” 

“Remember, the mercenaries are armed with automatics.” Maki comments.

“Oh, *and* Rantaro said they’ve gone rogue. No one’s controlling them right now.”

“Well, okay.”

“What do you mean, *okay*?” He snorts.

“I mean, ‘Okay, I’ll be on your side when they come, if that makes you feel any better’.” I answer.

“Just try not to get in the way.” The pink-haired woman plays with her hair.

Empathy - Beneath it, it’s clear they appreciate all the help they can get.

Authority - Hey! We didn't do all that pushing for nothing! Establish your authority!

Authority (Success) - As you look around the room...does this look familiar?

I’ve...seen this before?

Authority - You’ve been to *Precinct 41*. Almost exclusively men, sitting on desks, talking shit and wasting time.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - Ryoma sighs, sitting in an airplane, next to a man wearing a mask of a cow head.

Esprit De Corps \- “Can’t wait to see you again.” 

“You know what you guys remind me of?” I ask.

“Huh?”

“You’re just like real cops in Martinaise. Sitting by, and doing nothing.”

Empathy - They’re more amused than angry at this point.

“Really?”

Maki quickly chimes in.

“Yeah. But I would personally prefer cops. At least they give help to victims. Unlike what you guys are doing.”

Authority - One more push!

“It’s not about who did it. The victim needs *help*.”

“You wanna *help* her? Fine. I’ll let you help her - but if I hear any disrespect…”

“Her name?” Shuichi asks.

“Junko Enoshima. Tall. Blue eyes. Bleached, strawberry hair. Pigtails. Heavy makeup. She’s living here.”

“We’ll talk to her.”


	22. Junko Enoshima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...I knew something was off, but still…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of an earlier chapter - to make up for the last chapter that was pretty boring. 
> 
> This rips quite a bit from the main game as well, so those who've played Disco Elysium already, you guys might be...quite bored.
> 
> Major Spoilers for Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc for this chapter.
> 
> Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

7:32 AM

Logic - So that woman you saw on the first day is the person you have to interview.

I mean, that’s...kind of obvious, isn’t it?

Even if I didn't know her name, we *do* know she stays at the Whirling, and there’s like, three rooms here.

Shuichi and I walk up the stairs, while Kaito and Maki decided to stay downstairs to watch DICE and collect our food.

I look at my Journal on the Monopad.

<strike>Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
Start the Initial Interviews, first starting with Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.  
Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.  
</strike> Find the person smuggling The Despair Video.  
<strike>Interview DICE about their involvement in the murder.  
</strike> Interview Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista of Class 78.  
<strike>Find out the identity of the woman killed.  
</strike> Find out who killed the woman.  
<strike>Name the case.</strike>  
Type up a summary of the case.  


Talking to DICE was weird though. I could’ve sworn there were some things that didn't add up. 

Rhetoric - When you go back, you should approach them about how Kokichi and the yellow-haired boy weren’t there. The conversation was steered away last time.

Inland Empire - It’ll be cold when you’re done.

Shuichi and I approach the first door on the second floor, which is closed.

I lightly knock.

“Who is it?” A woman answers from the inside.

“...We’re the RCM. Could we come in, miss?” Shuichi asks.

“Come on up! The door’s unlocked.” She shouts.

Perception (Hearing) - Sounds like it’s coming from upstairs somewhere -- you could try to snoop around before going up…

I pull on the handle and walk through.

We walk into the slightly dirty room.

Perception (Sight) - There are alcohol bottles on the floor, and the room is noticeably chaotic.

Perception (Sight) - The table has papers for hotel bill calculations due to her extended stay - and above that, pictures of Junko and a plain-looking girl with freckles on the wall.

Perception (Sight) - There are dirty clothes around the room, but they all share the same color scheme of black, white and red.

Perception (Sight) - There are stairs leading up - supposedly to where she is, and a door leading to another room.

Logic - The bathroom.

I push open the door to the bathroom.

Esprit De Corps - Shuichi stares at you, wondering about what you're doing.

Perception (Sight) - A plain bathroom. Not much to say, to be honest. Shower curtains, a tub, a sink and a toilet.

Perception (Sight) - Though there is a medicine cabinet.

I pull open the cabinet.

Perception (Sight) - Full of wares. Sheets of pills, just haphazardly stacked on top of one or the other. There’s a toothbrush too.

I look at the pill bottles, and find acetylic acid, APA, eye drops, blood thinners, and so much more.

Electrochemistry (Failed) - ...Nothing of note. The further you look, the more arcane it gets. You don’t know what the rest of this stuff does.

You...really?

Electrochemistry - Yup.

Wow. I...mean, okay.

I close the cabinet, as well as the door to the bathroom as I exit.

We walk up the stairs.

Perception (Sight) - The room is tinted yellow by a light. There’s a journal on a desk next to the bed, and the bed seems like it has never been slept on.

Perception (Sight) - There’s a glass door, and windows across from the bed.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - The window is pristine on the inside.

That’s strange...the other one is kind of dirty, isn’t it?

Perception (Sight) - This one is untarnished.

I run my finger across the surface.

Perception - Smooth as ice. Spots of mud and rain outside. Surface on the window is clear from the inside, though. No chips or hairline fractures.

Shuichi looks closer at the window.

“It’s been replaced recently…” He comments.

I nod, as we walk out of the room, and past the glass door.

Leaning on the railing, is the tall woman I saw on the first day.

Perception (Sight) - Her hair is pinned into twintails with a cute bunny pin and a ribbon respectively.

Perception (Sight) - She’s wearing a black cardigan that has the top button open and a miniskirt.

Perception (Sight) - You can see her bra from here. She’s also wearing a black and white tie, along with platform heels.

Perception (Sight) - ...Am I missing something?

Maybe…?

Perception - Hm.

“Hiii there you two!” She smiles.

“Sorry for the mess downstairs. Cleaning lady hasn’t come by in days, I don’t think.” She looks down at her nails.

“It’s a nice view from up here, isn’t it…” I ask, trying to be polite.

“Yeah...it’s much nicer now.” 

Perception (Sight) - Her eyes wander north.

Visual Calculus - Towards the yard, where the dead body used to hang.

“...Seriously. Thank you two for that.” She says with a frown.

Empathy - There’s something in her gray eyes...a sadness. When she thinks about the death of the girl.

“...You said something about a cleaning lady? I think I need one…” I say nervously, still trying to keep the conversation going, as Shuichi stands by.

“Oh, yeah! I myself have heard of the Legends of Room #3. They say a portal to Hell has opened there.”

Inland Empire - *Disco Infernum*.

“I...suppose that’s not too far off…” I mutter.

“They also said that’s why the cleaning lady quit, but hey. I’m not gonna complain. She was stuck up anyways.”

“So, who’s the guy?” She asks, looking towards Shuichi.

“Ah...I’m Shuichi Saihara.” He says quietly.

“You’ve met Kaede already?” He asks.

“Well...not really *met*, but yeah! I’ve seen her around.”

“So, what brings you two all the way up to my crappy room?” She asks.

“We’re investigating the murder of Natsumi Kuzuryu.” I state, matter-of-factly.

“Ah...her.” She says, sweating a little.

Suggestion - Be careful. Ask *something else* first. When you do ask about…*that*, use words like ‘I hear you’ve gone through something difficult’.

“For the record...what’s your name?” I ask.

“Junko Enoshima. Ultimate Fashionista.”

“Where are you from?”

“Japan! But I travelled to Oranje for my job.”

“Could we take a look at your passport?” Shuichi quickly jumps in.

“Sorry. I don’t really have it with me right now.” She scratches the side of her head.

“Why?”

“Gotta keep it safe, ya know? It’s *Martinaise*, officers. If you have your travel documents on you, you’re kinda screwed.”

“I...suppose you’re not wrong.” Shuichi backs off.

Composure - If *any* of this has made her nervous, it doesn’t show in her expression or her movements.

“What are you doing in the Whirling-In-Rags, Junko?”

“I forgot the word...what was it called again?”

“*Wintering*! That’s the one.” She smiles.

“How long have you stayed here?”

She looks at her fingers.

“About...four months? I was here since November.”

...There’s not much to ask her about, is there?

“The window downstairs...it’s new, isn’t it?”

“Yeah! How’d you know?” She peeks behind you, looking at her reflection in it.

Shuichi grips his cap.

Empathy - He finds the answer…*unsatisfying*.

...I’ll drop it on her now.

“...Junko, they tell us that you’ve been through...something difficult.”

“Something difficult?” She questions, sweating.

“Were you...sexually assaulted by the woman?” I ask.

“By ‘sexually assaulted’ ya mean raped?” She crosses her arms.

I nod hesitantly.

Empathy - She sounds positively *buoyant*. Vivacious. Totally unbothered.

“Yeah...I’m gonna have to go with a no, there.” She frowns.

“I can’t crap talk her. Tell them to shove off with their requests.”

Rhetoric - By ‘them’, she means DICE.

Wait...so this means…

“So DICE...asked you to tell us you were assaulted?”

“I mean, yeah. Not *straight up*, but they still did, ya know?”

“Said they wanted to *spice things up*.”

“Wait, so what happened between you and the victim?”  
“I mean...we partied. That’s really it.”

Hmm…

“We drank a lot, did stimulants, stuff like that.” She says casually.

“I liked her a lot.” She smiles, with her hands behind her back.

Suggestion - *Liked*, as in loved.

Endurance - That’s *weird*.

“It must’ve been hard to see her there…” I look towards the yard.

“Oh, yeah. Definitely.”

“Wait, so *you* were the one to call the RCM.” Shuichi reasons.

She nods.

Logic - Jackpot!

So it wasn’t Celestia Ludenberg, but Junko instead.

I look back at my Monopad.

I accidentally crossed *that* one out too early…

“Wait...then why did you…’disguise’ your voice?” I ask.

“Wasn’t exactly a *disguise*. I just...muffled the mic. Then nicked the landline a little.”

“You nicked the landline?”

“Yeah. With my nail clippers. Diverted some radio fuzz, stuff like that.”

Interfacing - Clever tampering. Simple, clever, and crosses the line.

“What could you tell us about Natsumi?”

She looks down at her nails.

“...Sorry. I can’t really.. Do it right now. Maybe later…” She mutters.

Inland Empire - She’s seen the girl in her dreams.

“Wait, so if you weren’t sexually assaulted, why did they hang her?” I ask.

“She was with the strikebreakers, or something.” She looks down at her left hand.

“They lynched her for working with Hope’s Peak…” Shuichi mutters.

Junko averts her gaze from Shuichi.

...This one is going to be a bit hard to ask.

“...Why was there a bullet in her head?” I ask nervously.

“*Bullet*?” She crosses her arms.

“You’re fucking kidding. They didn't just strip her, they *shot* her too?”

Empathy - Don’t push her too much.

“...Sorry, things are going a bit over my head right now.” She grips her right arm.

Inland Empire - ...That’s strange. Just...like...

“Last question on this topic.” I state.

She looks away.

“How does DICE know you?”

“We met over drinks. Pink-haired really got my attention. They were fun to hang around with, to be honest.”

“Alright. We’re done here.”

She breathes a sigh of relief.

Wait...something’s wrong…

I look the woman in the eyes.

Volition (Success) - Her gray eyes look back at you.

Volition - She’s...beautiful.

Volition - Wait. No. I...I-

Volition - *KAEDE AKAMATSU*, we have a problem.

What?

Volition - You know these guys?

Logic - Who, me?

Drama - Yes, you. He’s talking about you, you boring stiff.

Volition - You too.

Drama - This is slander! What have *I* done?!

Volition - These guys are compromised.

Wait, how?

Volition - She’s got them singing her tune. Those bleeps and bloops you hear that give you information? You can’t trust them.

...I knew something was off, but still…

Volition - I’m sorry. This is my fault. I didn't catch it sooner. It takes conscious effort…

Which ones are actually affected?

Volition - There’s no way of knowing. At the moment, I’m afraid it’s...best to assume…

Volition - *all* of them.

Electrochemistry - *BULLSHIT*! I ain’t compromised, man!

Volition - *Especially* that guy. They’re the most compromised here.

Electrochemistry - No fucking way, man!

Volition - Really? Quick, tell me what’s under her cardigan?

Electrochemistry - THE TRUTH. PROTECT HIM. HE WANTS YOU.

*He*?

Volition - I take it back. They’ve got it pretty bad, but this *next guy* is on a whole other level.

Suggestion - He likes you. The Crownhead’s just a boring condom. He’s just jealous. It’s human nature.

How...did this happen?

Volition - How it always does. Subtle movements.

Can I do anything?

Volition - There’s nothing you can do about it. You are how you are. She is what she is. 

Volition - Things will go as they do.

Is it possible to turn them back?

Volition - No.

Then...what’s the point of this conversation?

Volition - It’s better to *know you’re being played* than to *be played without knowing*, is it not?

Wait, so she could be lying to me and I wouldn’t even know?!

Volition - It’s safe to assume: yes. Mr. Thespian here hasn’t been speaking up. If he were, I suspect there would be paeans to her truthfulness. Like this…

Drama - He isth a sire most faireth and juste!

Volition - In their defence - to reduce them to such inadequacy, she’s probably employed more half-truths than outright lies.

Rhetoric - That is correct. Omissions work too.

Can I trust *that*?

Volition - A little. They’re limited in use, but they’re still trying to interpret things to the best of their abilities. Maybe they add flair or something? I wouldn’t know. I don’t add flair.

Rhetoric - Says the guy wearing the crown.

Volition - But - when it comes to assessments of character, as well as factual accuracy, they are not to be trusted. Not with *her*.

Good to know...

But why do they keep saying he or him?

Volition - See...that, I don’t understand either.

What is her plan, anyways?

Volition - You can’t draw a sound conclusion. The one who usually does, says…

Logic - She may want to control the information roll-out -- not to become a suspect. She may have a past she’s escaping, unrelated to this case. You doubt it’s something truly insidious.

Volition - See? It’s oddly moderate. Compromised.

I’ve...been talking to myself too much. Let’s get back to real life, yeah?

Volition - It’s only been four or five seconds. You’ve got this.

…

“Miss, have you been manipulating me?”

The silence breaks. Her eyes widen. She exhales, and says…

“What? Are you alright? Everything okay?”

“...We’ll return to this later, miss.” I wave.

She nods.

I quickly beckon for Shuichi to follow me into the room and downstairs.

“...Shuichi. Something’s wrong.”

“What...do you mean?” He asks nervously.

“I have reason to believe that she has been manipulating us.”

“You did say that out loud to her...”

“She has my *entire* skill set compromised, Shuichi. This woman is serious business.”

“She did seem way too forthcoming with information…” He places a finger under his chin.

“...I’ll trust your judgement, Kaede. We’ll be careful.” 

I nod.

“We should get going now, though. We have a few questions for DICE.”


	23. DOORGUNNER MEGAMIX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conceptualization - Now *that* is intriguing. You had me at *Doorgunner*.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a boring chapter.
> 
> The next chapter is definitely going to be a bit more interesting, so take this as what amounts to a filler chapter.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading.

7:41 AM

Shuichi and I walk down the stairs, and Kaito immediately calls us over.

“How’d it go?” He asks, smiling.

I shake my head.

“Not good.”

“What happened?” Kaito suddenly frowns.

“We’ll talk about it later, Kaito. We have to talk to DICE right now.” I quickly explain.

He nods. “If anything goes wrong, we’re here.” He gives a thumbs up.

I approach the man with the fringe again, in the mess hall.

“You two again, huh?” He crosses his arms.

“What is it?”

“The woman, you know, the rape victim you guys talked about?”

“What *about* her?” He starts playing with his fringe again.

“She says that *you guys* told her to say that she was, and that it was all a lie.”

“See?! Told you guys there was no point.” Kokichi laughs.

“Damn it, boss.” The man sighs.

“You guys should listen to me next time!”

“Just show it to her.” The plain boy mutters, frustrated.

“What’s the harm, right?” The yellow haired boy places his hands behind his head.

The man with the red afro sighs.

“Hold out your hand.”

I do as he asks.

He places a phone into my hand.

“PIN is 3120.”

I turn the phone on and swipe it up, inserting the numbers.

Inland Empire - The numbers...they’re strange...

“So what’s on this phone?” I ask.

Inland Empire - The phone feels ominous. Upon it, the dead speak. Respect it.

“We call it the ‘Doorgunner Megamix’. Check the audio files.”

Conceptualization - Now *that* is intriguing. You had me at *Doorgunner*.

“How did you get this again?” I ask.

“It was on her body.”

“Wait, how did you guys get the PIN for this anyways?”

Logic - It’s likely that they put the password on *after*. Or something.

“We unlocked the phone with a bit of help from the girl upstairs.” The man simply shrugs.

Drama - ...We’re not entirely convinced by that answer, but we’ll let it slide.

“You can keep the phone! You’ll need a reminder of human ugliness some day anyways, Kaede!” Kokichi shouts from the back.

Empathy - It sounds like it’s malicious, but it’s meant in earnest.

Shuichi and I walk back to the table Kaito and Maki are sitting, and I look through the ‘My Files’ app.

Audio Files, right?

‘DOORGUNNER MEGAMIX’.

I tap on it.

“...This isn’t Revachol, is it?” A girl’s voice comes from the speaker.

“This is a circus.” There’s a loud screech in the background.

Interfacing - Some kind of machinery, probably.

“That’s...the harbour, I think.” Shuichi comments.

“Sounds like the crane, from earlier.” He explains his reasoning, while I nod.

“Well, at least when I’m done here, I’ll get moved to the main course.” The voice calms down a bit.

“I should probably rent a room here, shouldn’t I, big bro?”

“I'll go continue harassing that fashion model, shouldn’t I?”

“What do you mean we can’t? They keep saying I *raped* her.”

“Well...that doesn’t count! I’ll just do it Soldier of the Apocalypse style! You know...like that grenade!”

Then...silence.

“That...doesn’t really corroborate their story, does it?” Maki asks.

“Didn't they claim she *raped* Junko, or something? Not just harassment.”

“That *is* strange…” Shuichi mutters.

“Why would DICE give this to us?”

He looks at the phone, wondering.

He seems to go blank for a moment, but recovers, not saying anything.

“The big bro mentioned was probably Fuyuhiko…” I murmur.

“Definitely.” 

“What did you guys think about it?” I look towards Kaito and Maki.

“Seemed authentic enough to me.” Kaito shrugs.

“It was probably edited to make it seem more incriminating, or something.”

“It’s possible.” Shuichi places a finger under his chin.

“She also sounded inebriated. But still…” Shuichi looks towards the phone again.

Esprit De Corps - There’s more going on here than we know.

“Well...what do we do now?” I ask.

“A bit of this tape contradicts Junko’s testimony, so I suppose we have questions for *her* now.”

I nod silently.

THOUGHT COMPLETE

*You* wanted this, so you *have* to win.

_Rantaro Amami. Ultimate Adventurer. Carefree, sits on chairs backwards and smiles. At least, that’s the front he puts up. Behind his smile is a pain that won’t be erased any time soon. Where *are* they? In the pale? Mundi? Seol? He’ll spend the rest of his damn *life* if he has to, just to find them._

+1 Shivers  
+1 Composure 

They?

Why does everyone have a front they put up? I just...don’t understand…

Empathy - You’re real selfish, you know?

What?

Rhetoric - You’re complaining about other people masking how they feel - when you do the exact same thing.

...That’s...different.

7:53 AM

We push open the door to Junko’s room, and walk upstairs. 

As we walk out the glass door, we finally see Junko still leaning back against the railing.

“Ah, it’s you two again…” She murmurs.

Empathy - There isn’t much frustration in her voice as there is curiosity.

“We just received a phone from DICE, with a recording on it.”

I hold up the phone, showing it to Junko.

“In it, the girl claims to have been harassing you.”

She chuckles, amused.

“She was pretty funny. Always managed to make a good thing out of a bad situation.”

“What do you mean?” I question.

“It was...a running joke. DICE kept trying to ‘protect’ me from her, saying I was getting harassed. So that just...became her catchphrase.”

“Well...thank you for clearing that up, anyways.” Shuichi nods.

And now we have questions for DICE. My legs are aching...

“Now that you’ve had some time, could you tell us about the victim?” I ask, trying not to seem impolite.

She nods a slight bit.

“I don’t have much to tell you, though.”

Shuichi pulls up his Monopad, opening up the ‘Monokuma File’ and passes it to me.

“Where was she from?” I ask.

“Japan. Or something. I dunno. I know she was a Hope’s Peak student for sure, so probably Japan.”

Shuichi nods.

“How old was she?”

“She was...18. I’m pretty sure.”

“You were right, Kaede.” Shuichi nods, tapping on his cap.

Perception (Sight) - As if assigning a *point*.

Endurance - Points are good. Have one! Before we all die.

“Her eye colour?”

Junko looks towards Shuichi.

“Like his.”

...Do I *want* to ask this last question?

Empathy - It won’t turn out *bad* or *terrible*...

“Miss, do you think *hope* killed her?”

Perception - She flinched.

“Is ‘DICE’ hopeful now?” She crosses her arms.

“Actually, why are we talking about this right now? It’s a shit load of Tragedy talk here.” She covers her mouth.

Endurance - I think she’s tired. She doesn’t want to talk about it - and can you blame her?

Volition - Yes, you *can*. At least a little. It was a straightforward question that she refused to answer.

“Thank you, Miss. We’re done here.” I pass Shuichi his Monopad back.

She nods a little.

Visual Calculus - Wait, stop. That woman, bloated beyond all recognition, was 18?

That’s what she said, yes.

Visual Calculus - Below the damage, decomposition and swellness, she was *18*?

Where are you going with this?

Visual Calculus - How old are *you*?

Reaction Speed - You could ask Shuichi or Junko here.

...I don’t know.

Visual Calculus - Do you want to know *the truth*?

...Fine.

Visual Calculus - To the Labortarium!

Before we leave…

Perception (Sight) - There are white flowers on the roof…

Hand/Eye Coordination - They’re flying! Catch them, fast!

Hand/Eye Coordination (Success) - You catch a single white flower. The rest fly off. A may bell.

“Shuichi, what is this?”

“I...think it’s called the Insulindian Lily.” He pulls on the cap.

Encyclopedia - Called May bells or Lucille’s tears during the Revolution. Girls pinned them on soldiers, as a symbol of the Civil War. 

“Why is this one dried?”

Shuichi looks at the may bell.

“...They blossom in spring. Usually not *this* early in Winter. It was preserved.”

I put the may bell away.

The two of us walk down the stairs. Shuichi and I walk straight towards DICE.

The fringed man sees us, as sighs again.

“So we talked to Junko about the phone...”

“And?”

Composure - He tenses. Chest tightens, and the jaw sets.

“She said it was an inside joke.”

“You two are quite possibly the worst cops I’ve ever met.” He starts playing with his fringe.

“She was...more nostalgic about it.” Shuichi comments.

“So, what do you two think about this, Hope’s Peak students?”

Rhetoric - You don’t have to say everything out loud. Just mix and match.

“So...what actually happened?” I ask.

“I already told you.” He looks down and sighs.

“We hanged her.”

Empathy - There’s less gusto in his voice now.

Reaction Speed - The man in slowing down. Looks like a bad blood sugar crash. He can’t keep track of all the variables anymore.

“You guys need to tell us the truth. We know she wasn’t hanged, she was shot.”

Shuichi taps on his Monopad.

“I’m honestly too tired to deal with this.” He messes with his cuffs.

“Next time you see her, tell her we’re done.” He looks off to Byakuya.

“Hey! Get us twenty drinks! I need my Panta.”

“You don’t. I do.” Kokichi pouts.

“Oh, really?! Why don’t we make it forty, huh?!” Byakuya shouts from the counter.

“Why don’t we make it a hundred?!”

Rhetoric - We could try something here…

Rhetoric (Success) - Actually no. We can’t convince *him*. But…

Logic - We can flush out one of the others.

Rhetoric - Remember. It’s more than just about Junko. This is about ‘DICE’ - and MARTINAISE. Their district. Their responsibility.

I look at Shuichi.

“That’s it, then. Case closed. We’re going back, Shuichi. Call Kaito and Maki.”

“Huh?” Shuichi looks on in surprise, as I turn around.

Rhetoric - He’ll get it. Go on.

“In our report, write it down. In Martinaise, the local authority will just kill you, because they don’t like you.”

He looks at his Monopad, and starts typing in an irritating manner, with the keyboard sound at max volume.

“Got it. The group with a *no killing rule* - will kill you. Because they don’t like you.”

“Bring that up again, and you won’t *get* to write that report.” The pink haired woman warns.

“They just hang you, shoot you, whatever! In the end, they don’t even *remember* what they did.”

“It...it wasn’t…” The large man wheezes.

“We didn't shoot him.”

Rhetoric - That’s the weak one! You’ve flushed him out. Now, go in for th-

“Shut up. Just go back to your Hope’s Peak or whatever. There’s nothing for you here.”

Rhetoric - Careful. The man in the red afro is on to you.

Volition - Steel yourself. Push on. Ignore him.

I look towards Shuichi.

Perception (Sight) - He gives an almost imperceptible nod.

Esprit De Corps - You can do it, right?

I turn to the large man.

“Or what? You’re gonna kill us like you killed her? For *no reason*, even with your, may I repeat, *NO KILLING RULE*?!”

“We...we didn’t kill her! She was already dead when…”

The man in the red afro quickly turns to him.

“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!”

…

Shuichi’s eyes widen, but he quickly calms down.

Esprit De Corps - Now *that* makes sense.

The man with the fringe clenches his fist.

“Calm down. I’ve...got this under control.”

Composure - *Does* he? His closed fist is shaking. *You* are in control here.

“I told you to just give her up!” Kokichi smiles.

“Shut up, boss.” The man plays with his cuffs again.

“Awww! My second-in-command just told me to shut up!” Kokichi looks down.

“WHY ARE ALL OF YOU SO RUDE TO ME?!” He starts spilling crocodile tears.

Rhetoric - You’re in. Questions!

“So...you *didn't* kill her...she was already dead.”

He nods silently.

“You...you guys hung the corpse to cover up the real cause of death.” Shuichi pulls down his cap.

Another nod.

“Why?”

“...The other girls asked us to. They were in some *serious* shit.”

Rhetoric - Girls? Plural? There’s another girl? Two of them? That are not from DICE?

“Did...Junko kill her?” I ask.

“I have no idea. She says she didn't, but…”

Empathy - He doesn’t think she did. And *hopes* she didn't.

“What happened that night?”

“Junko came down the stairs, asked us for a bit of help and for us to go upstairs. We went in, found the girl shot dead, with a bullet hole through the window, and dirty sheets everywhere.”

“We patched the window up, and hung the corpse.”

“Wait...if Junko didn't kill her, why did you guys try to cover it up?”

“...Junko’s already in some trouble, you know.” The plain boy looks up.

“Yeah. The kind of people that are after her…” The pink haired woman tugs her hair behind her ear.

“Who are these people?”

“They’re powerful. We know that much.”

“Connected to the Future Foundation, from what we hear.”

…

“Do you guys have any ideas on who killed her, then?”

“Not yet, just some ideas. Shot came from outside, behind the window.”

“I’m thinking - it’s not that simple.” Kokichi leans back, grinning widely.

He looks straight at Shuichi, blankly. 

“Shuichi, if you were to investigate this, what would be the first thing you would do?”

“...I suppose I would check out the coast?”

“Uh huh. For what?”

Hand/Eye Coordination \- “The ballistics…” 

Kokichi nods, giving a thumbs up.

“See! You’re learning, Kaede.”

“Whose idea was it to hang the body up?”

“...”

The room goes dead silent.

“I...suppose that was a bad question.”

Kokichi nods.

“Try again later, Kaede!’

“Well...I suppose we should go talk to her, then.” Shuichi mutters.

“You guys go do that!”


	24. Mukuro Ikusaba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This murder didn't have anything to do with *me*. If you send me in for questioning…”
> 
> “What if we do?” I ask curiously.
> 
> “Then, they’ll kill me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless!

8:20 AM

Shuichi and I quickly rush up the stairs, while Kaito and Maki continue eating.

We walk up to the glass door, and walk through.

“Welcome back, you two!” Junko smiles.

“...DICE told us what really happened.” I explain.

She crosses her arms.

“I knew there was a chance to get them to tell you.”

“I’m sorry for wasting your time, you two.”

Rhetoric - This is good. Clear the air first, then move on to questions.

Volition - No, it’s not good. This lets her dictate the terms of yo-

Rhetoric - Shush. I can’t hear what she’s saying.

“If you knew we would find out, why did you waste our time?” I ask.

“I felt bad for them. They were just trying to help me.” 

“That’s...not a very good reason.”

“You’re right. There’s more.”

“More?”

“You answer to the Coalition Government - and, by extension, the *Moralintern*. And after that - the Future Foundation.”

Reaction Speed - She glances over her shoulder to the sea.

Visual Calculus - A grand expanse of water reaches over the bay, towards the horizon. Golden grey, in the noon light.

Visual Calculus - The pale. Mundi. Occident. Oranje.

“...Is that why you’re looking over your shoulder?” 

She nods.

“You share a database with the Future Foundation.”

“What did you *do*?” Shuichi asks.

“...Business.” She mutters.

“This murder didn't have anything to do with *me*. If you send me in for questioning…”

“What if we do?” I ask curiously.

“Then, they’ll kill me.”

Volition - For once, you’ve caught *her* off-guard.

“What...did you do to have these people after you?” I ask.

“It’s...not nice.”

“What *exactly* did you do?” I push.  
She looks behind her.

“You two have heard of ‘The Tragedy’, yes?”

Shuichi’s eyes widen.

“You were part of the Ultimate Despair?”

She nods silently.

“Yup! Though...I’m changed now.”

Drama - A lie...she was not *part* of the Ultimate Despair.

Volition - Could you just focus?!

“No wonder you’re so afraid of the Future Foundation…” Shuichi reasons.

Encyclopedia - The Future Foundation is known for *eliminating* despair. And their current plan is to…’exterminate’ all of the Remnants of Despair.

“So please, don’t arrest me.” Junko looks away, in sadness.

"Shuichi." I quickly whisper.

"I think she's trying to manipulate us into not arresting her."

"Huh?"

Volition - Wait! You can't be completely sure that they're correct! She may have lied, and we wouldn't know! She may truly be of the Ultimate Despair.

Drama - That was a lie! Milady, please! At most, a half-truth.

“...We have a few questions about the murder, now.”

She nods.

Shuichi looks back to Junko, still slightly confused.

“What happened here, the night she died?’

“We were there.” She points to the bed.

...I don’t think I want *that* much information.

Suggestion - Of course you do!

“Her back was facing the window. I heard the window shatter, then…”

“I waited for the second shot. It never came.”

“What time was this?” Shuichi quickly asks.

“11:30 to 12:15. I don’t know the exact time.”

“So...you ran downstairs afterwards to get help?”

“Celestia was still at the bar, and I saw the Union Mess Hall being full. I saw Mukuro, too.”

Reaction Speed - Mukuro?!

“Mukuro? Who’s that?”

“Mukuro Ikusaba. You know.”

“No, we don’t know.” I quickly catch.

“She was basically the organizer behind DICE. Helped them out with finances and stuff.”

Authority - This Mukuro - in her phrasing, is entrusted with great power.

“Mukuro was the first person I told. She said she’d take care of it. Get the body to the bathroom, keep her upright by pulling her up under the shower.”

Perception (Sight) - To mislead *you*! They were tampering with the scene.

“When was this? Twenty minutes after death?” Shuichi asks.

Visual Calculus (Failed) - Oops.

“About twenty, yes. She explained it would make the blood…”

“You saw.” She grips her right arm again.

“So the lividity matches that of a hanging…” Shuichi mutters.

“Mukuro told me to wait *here* and lay low. Said we wouldn’t see her for awhile.”

“Where is she now?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen her since.”

“When it happened, did you hear a gunshot?’

She thinks.

“I...don’t know. I couldn’t hear anything over the glass.”

Perception (Hearing) - The gunshot wasn’t that loud? This is something to keep in mind, when assessing the distance of the shot.

“Why did you call the cops if you were told to ‘lay low’?”

“Because I’m an idiot.” The answer comes fast.

Reaction Speed - An indicator of truth..

“I...don’t think so. Why did you do it?” I cross my arms, doubtful.

“...Ya have to understand that the body was rotting, no one was making the call, and they even picked her clothes off.”

Composure - Her jaw is clenched. It takes all her strength not to cave in and sob...once...just one time.

“So...I called you.”

“Those people...I’m so sorry, Natsumi…”

Drama - She definitely called the cops. That was *task complete* It could not hath been a *lie*. That is impossible. Shuichi can tell you.

Volition - Oh god...that was a lie too, then! Who made the call?!

You're overcompensating, I think. 

Drama - There iseth no doubt! The madame just could not bear the sight of her lover splayed and disfigured.

Drama - Your paranoia is *unflattering*. She has been nothing but forthcoming with information.

Drama - Madame, you need to relax. You’re worrying far too much, and it is incredibly *unattractive*. Especially to your partner.

Maybe..you’re right.

Volition (Success) - For god’s sake, just WAKE UP!

Drama (Success) - Who...what? Wait...hold on...

Drama - Dear lord! You’ve been lied to! She could’ve killed her lover, and lied to *everyone*! She’s not the most *faire and juste* at all! She’s smoke and mirrors, and will-o-wisps!

Drama - She probably didn't give you her real name either -- why would she?! Arrest her immediately, before she entangles you further in her lies!

Finally...but we need to be careful. 

Volition - Take it easy. Don’t overcompensate. Ask questions, first.

Yeah...we can't be *too* paranoid... 

Rhetoric - Yes. Start at the top, choose at the bottom. No rush.

Drama - SEE?!

“Is your real name even Junko Enoshima?” I ask.

Shuichi looks at me, with his eyes widened.

“Huh?!” She places her hand under her chin, sweating a bit.

“Why would I lie about that?!” Her face turns a slight shade of red.

She’s not admitting to it?

“Shuichi, why haven’t we arrested her yet?”

“While there are grounds for detention here, I don’t think that’ll be necessary, Kaede…”

Perception (Hearing) - The woman grins a bit. She hears you, and hears your partner’s doubt in addition.

“You know, I don’t think you made the call to the station either.” I point at her accusingly.

“What do you mean? I did!” She crosses her arms again.

“I called your desk, or whatever. 8-100-2 for emergencies, or something.”

“Other end had a woman who was smoking. Coughing and stuff.” She tries her best to defend herself.

Encyclopedia - That *is* the Emergencies Desk number…

Drama - Anyone could know that, Madame! By looking around and calling the desk. I wouldn’t trust a *single* word coming out of the woman’s mouth!

“What time did you make the call?” Shuichi asks, looking through his notes on the Monopad.

“Last Thursday, after twelve at night.”

Shuichi looks at me.

“It checks out...”

“Shuichi, *anyone* could know the number. Someone coughing doesn’t mean anything!”

She grips her arm.

“I know the *time* too! You know for a fact that I’m not lying!” She looks at me angrily.

“I haven’t done anything!”

Authority - She failed to aid in a police investigation.

Rhetoric - She purposefully misrepresented information crucial to the case.

Drama - That’s right! Stern and merciless! We need to reel her in.

“You failed to aid us in a police investigation, misrepresented crucial information and *lied*.” I say sternly.

Shuichi looks to me, slightly worried.

“Are you...sure about this?” He asks.

I nod.

He produces a pair of handcuffs from his pants.

“...Wait! I think I know who did it...I can help you!” She pleads.

“...What do you know?” I ask doubtfully.

She goes silent, then…

Empathy (Success) - She’s trying to act like this betrayal is hard for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I want Kaede to arrest Junko or not.
> 
> Maybe I'll leave it up to the dice.


	25. A Diagram

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My physics and math have never been good…

8:46 AM

“Mukuro.”

“Why do you think she did it?” I narrow my eyes, with crossed arms.

“...She’s my sister.” Junko inspects her nails.

“She’s absolutely *obsessed* with protecting me. It’s...a bit of an unhealthy relationship.”

“To be honest, she’s a bit gross.” Junko smiles.

“But she was convinced that Natsumi was going to hurt - or even worse, try to kill me.”

“So, you think that when you were with Natsumi…”

“She was shot by Mukuro. Yup.”

“...And how would she have gotten her hands on a gun?” Shuichi asks.

“Mukuro...she’s the Ultimate Soldier.”

...

Wait, WHAT?!

Composure - It’s perfectly logical. If Hope’s Peak has an Ultimate Assassin, why not a soldier?

“She used to work for this mercenary group or something, called Fenrir. They were given guns and stuff.”

Reaction Speed - That’s...off. She’s giving out information too freely.

Volition - Especially considering that *this guy* suggested she was controlling information roll-out.

Logic - Hmm…

“...” Shuichi pulls on his cap.

Empathy - He’s starting to doubt her too.

“What is it, Shuichi?” I ask.

“...Kokichi would *never* let someone who kills as a job into DICE.” He looks away.

“That’s cause we hid her past! We knew that Kokichi didn't really support killing, so we just said she was my sister, nothing else.”

...It *sounds* plausible…

Drama - Madame, no! You need to calm down, and think about this. Is it *really*?

Logic - It all checks out so far…

Volition - Really?

Logic - Yup.

“How could she have killed Natsumi, then?” I ask.

I look around.

“There’s not many places she could’ve shot from…”

“She had access to the roof!” 

“She’s always come up here every now and then - with no access to my room.”

She points to a barred door next to the room.

“Maybe that leads downstairs?”

“She could have come to the roof through that, taken the shot, right here. It was so dark, I wouldn’t even be able to see her outside.”

Savoir Faire - Then, she slipped back downstairs without anyone noticing. This is plausible.

Volition - What about *this*?! Does *this* check out?

Logic - Yup.

...No, that’s wrong.

Logic - Huh?

Remember? *No one* heard the gunshot.

Logic - What does *that* mean?

She didn't hear a gunshot when the roof is literally *right outside*?

Logic - ...That…*is* strange…

Volition - *YES*! It is! So wake up, you old fool!

“...I think that’s all the questions we have about Mukuro…”

Volition - Then what?!

Drama - Arrest the liar! Now.

Authority - Don’t arrest her. Push her a bit more, but let her off. That Mukuro theory was *solid*. (And your partner doubts it too.)

Volition - Stop letting her distract you!

Shuichi looks back at me.

“...What do we do?”

“I...I think we should arrest her.”

Her eyes widen.

Drama - She’s gearing up for a last stand. This is it.

“Please.” She looks at both of us pleadingly.

“What other option do we have?” I ask rhetorically.

“You...you have those *station calls*, right? Where I have to show up, or I’ll become a fugitive. You can write me one. You don’t…*have* to take me in! Just give me two months!”

“We do have the form…” Shuichi mutters, his eyes flicking between her and the Monopad.

Volition - That’s it. I’m calling it. Shuichi is *beyond* compromised.

Drama - Definitely, Madame!

“And what’ll have changed in one month? Or two months?”

“...” She stays silent.

Empathy - There’s desperation there, in the silence. A cornered animal looking for a way out.

Drama - Her gambit has failed.

Volition - This - this was her last card. There’s nothing more she can say. The final decision is *yours* -- and yours alone.

Esprit De Corps - Shuichi’s, as well.

Logic - Wait! If you arrest her, someone has to transport her! You’d be without a partner for the rest of the day…

Drama - SHUT UP, you old man! She’s making a decision, and it’s *Madame’s* to make. Not ours!

Esprit De Corps - Even so, she’ll have at least one other person. At most, two people will have to leave. At least one person - Shuichi, Kaito or Maki will stay.

“...Shuichi.”

He looks at me expectantly.

“...We...we’ll write her a station call.”

Drama - This may have been an incredibly *grave* mistake, Madame.

Volition - Maybe. Maybe not. Mercy is rarely a *complete* mistake, after all.

…

Inland Empire - Look up.

I stare up in the sky.

Shivers (Failed) - Nothing happens. Absolutely nothing.

Shivers - The sky is low. Cold. You hear the distant murmur of motor-connections somewhere south of here. That is all.

I look back at Junko, and see her typing on Shuichi’s Monopad, while he stares off into the ocean.

Behind me, I look at the barred door.

Perception (Sight) - There’s no lock…

“Where does this lead to…?”

Shuichi turns to look at me.

“We don’t know. We *could* search downstairs. The kitchen is likely the first place we should check out after 12.”

I nod.

“The further we get, the more the building seems to be tied to the case…” Shuichi mutters.

I push on the door.

Perception (Hearing) - A bar rattles in the brackets. It’s heavy, and very sturdy.

Logic - It’s barred from the inside.

Obviously, yes.

Physical Instrument - WAIT! THIS IS A PERFECT TIME!

Huh?

Physical Instrument - KICK THE DOOR IN!

...I...don’t think that’s a ver-

Physical Instrument - NO! DO IT NOW!

Damn it, fine!

Physical Instrument (Failed) - *BAM!*

Pain Threshold - NO!

Physical Instrument - You kick it - gung ho style, *entering the premises* style -- but the door fails to respect the force.

Ow...my leg hurts…

Perception (Hearing) - Ting! 2 Monocoins obtained!

9:23 AM

Shuichi and I walk back into the room, after saying our goodbyes to Junko.

Visual Calculus - Wait. Inspect the window.

I look closer at the window, squinting at it.

[Visual Calculus (Success) - The golden light melts away. The blue enters the stage.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-Sx8VJSGxo)

Visual Calculus - Two people are sitting on the bed.

Visual Calculus - It’s the night of the 21st. A shot has just been fired.

Visual Calculus - Suddenly, the shot converges into one of the woman’s mouths.

Where did the shot come from?

Visual Calculus - From the roof outside. Location *A Prime*. 

This...I don’t think I’m cut out for this one.

Volition - You are. Calm down.

My physics and math have never been good…

Visual Calculus - Well, they better get good now. The glass fractures around the bullet hole.

Visual Calculus - The woman who was shot did not notice that the bullet entered her.

Logic - Death always comes faster than the realization.

Inland Empire - Not *always*. After all, th-

Logic - First. Inspect A Prime.

Visual Calculus - The roof. The ray of the shot fans into three possible directions. All coming on the roof first.

Visual Calculus - The shot could have come from *any* of them. This is the composite location - A prime. The likeliest solution to this mystery.

Wait, shouldn’t there be like, gun residue or something outside? Maybe a bullet casing?

Visual Calculus - There *could’ve* been. But the rain and slush and wind washed it away. Remember, this was more than a week ago.

How sure are we that the bullet came from the roof?

Visual Calculus - 72%. An antique weapon that fires military grade ammunition like the Belle-Magrave rifle would have a good time here. It’s a short distance, but not too short.

Logic - So the murderer aimed with their back against the railing.

Visual Calculus - Or kneeled for the precision, yes. Which is why it only took *one* shot.

Visual Calculus - After all, the lights were on in here. It was dark outside.

Inland Empire - Like shooting fish in a barrel.

Visual Calculus - Neither of them would’ve seen anything outside.

...I have a few questions.

Visual Calculus - Go ahead, *detective*.

Could the shot have come from *inside* the room?

Visual Calculus - Point ‘X’ would contradicts Junko’s testimony - rendering the *entire* proposition void. The figures would disappear, and we would have nothing to work with, pianist.

Are there any arguments against…’A Prime’?

Visual Calculus - None that you’ve found so far.

Logic - But that doesn’t mean there *aren’t* any. For example, no one hearing the gunshot could be a problem. You should ask DICE about it later.

Any other...points that the shot could’ve come from?

Visual Calculus - Where else did the other 28% go? Indeed, the shot *could* have come from a greater distance. Nothing excludes that possibility. 

Visual Calculus - Should we extrapolate the diagram further, to include *every* possible point of origin in Martinaise? This one is up to you.

...Please, do.

Visual Calculus - According to the map on your Monopad, the shot could’ve come from a wide angle of locations.

I pull out my Monopad, and trace a path.

Visual Calculus - Let’s start with the abandoned boardwalk, ending with an islet in the bay. We’ll call it B prime.

Oh no. I don’t like the sound of this…

Visual Calculus - B’ for boardwalk; B” for Land’s End and B”’ for the islet.

Wait, only three of them?

Visual Calculus - Oh no, detective. There are smaller points in between, but they are far too fine to zoom in on.

Ah...okay. Let’s try...the boardwalk, or B’, or whatever.

My finger traces a path past a church and a few abandoned buildings, reaching the boardwalk, west on the map.

Visual Calculus - 700 metres away. Likeliest of the B positions. 20% chance. A skilled sniper could’ve easily made the shot, if they had a safe sniper’s nest. Even with the light on inside, we’re talking *military* training. At that distance, wind direction would have an impact.

What about...Land’s end?

I trace another path, this time further down west, at the coast.

Visual Calculus - 1.2 km away. Least likely position at 3%. A skilled sniper could have done it...maybe...from a tent? No...that’s way too far fetched.

Okay...then what about point B”’? The islet.

I trace a path through the water, heading east. It finally reaches a small island, with a few abandoned buildings.

Visual Calculus - An unlikely point of origin, beyond the docks somewhere. It’s about 1 km away. Maybe on an islet in the Bay of Martinaise? After all, there are islets there, they’re just badly charted.

What are the chances?

Visual Calculus - A small miracle. 5% likelihood. An extremely narrow field of view is present - from the bay to the window, through Rue de Saint Ghislaine 10 and 33A. 

Visual Calculus - The angle would have been extreme. Access to the islets is questionable, too…

“Kaede, are you alright?” Shuichi suddenly pipes up.

“Huh?” I look up.

“You’ve been staring at the window for a while now…”

“...Shuichi, do you think the shot could’ve come from further than the roof? Somewhere else, in Martinaise?” I ask.

He places a finger under his chin.

“...From where, precisely?”

Esprit De Corps - He wants *your* take on it.

I place my hand forward.

“Let’s say: B prime is the Boardwalk; B double prime is Land’s End, and B triple prime is the Islet.”

“...You’ve given this a lot of thought…” Shuichi remarks.

“What’s the likelihood of the bullet coming from a further distance, Kaede?”

“It’s...okay. I would say...about a twenty-five percent chance?”

Visual Calculus - Twenty-eight, detective.

Shuichi nods.

“We should see if there is gunshot residue or sniper nests if we go down to the coast. We’ll rule the spots out.”

“I...don’t think the bullet came from the roof, either.” Shuichi mutters.

I blink.

And the blue disappears.

9:31 AM

“Wait, so you guys didn't arrest her?” Kaito asks, his eyes widened.

I nod, my mouth still full with the cold food.

“Yeah, she’s still up there.” Shuichi mutters.

“Well, it’s up to you two whether you want to arrest her or not, I guess.” Kaito shrugs.

I scroll through my Monopad.

Truth Bullets

Monokuma File

Nekomaru’s Account

Nagito’s Account (Unreliable)

THE DOORGUNNER MEGAMIX

DICE’s Account

Mukuro Ikusaba’s Motive

Mukuro Ikusaba’s Method

Nagito’s account?

I tap on it.

Nagito’s Account (Unreliable) - ‘The Sixteenth Student’ is a young-ish woman, with black, short hair. She’s thin, with freckles.

I...haven’t seen this one before. That’s...strange.

I move down the lis-

“Ah...I almost forgot.” Shuichi takes out his Monopad.

Perception (Sight) - He scrolls to the Monopad section, and taps on a button on the top right.

Perception (Hearing) - Your monopad just vibrated, along with Kaito’s and Maki’s.

Truth Bullets

Byakuya’s Account

Footprints

Monokuma File

Nekomaru’s Account

Nagito’s Account (Unreliable)

THE DOORGUNNER MEGAMIX

DICE’s Account

Mukuro Ikusaba’s Motive

Mukuro Ikusaba's Method 

“Ah! Thanks, Shuichi.”

He nods silently, looking back at his plate.

Perception (Sight) - It’s still full.

I decide to go down the list.

Byakuya’s Account - Byakuya Togami claims to have only taken over the Whirling-In-Rags on Sunday.

Footprints - There are eight pairs of footprints at the crime scene, with the size numbers ranging from 43 to 46.

Monokuma File - The victim’s identity is unknown. The body was discovered in the outside of the Whirling-In-Rags, in the establishment’s courtyard. The murder is estimated to have occurred about a week ago. The victim seems to have been killed with a rifle bullet, found in the back of her mouth. Someone seemed to have attempted to cover up the cause of death, as the body was found hanging off a tree, making it seem like a lynching.

Nekomaru’s Account - A little past midnight, on the 28th of November, Nekomaru heard shouting from the Whirling-In-Rags. Two females were arguing, until a car engine started, and drove away. Local rumors suggest that both the women were killed, as two females were recently reported missing.

Nagito’s Account (Unreliable) - ‘The Sixteenth Student’ is a young-ish woman, with black, short hair. She’s thin, with freckles.

THE DOORGUNNER MEGAMIX

A transcript…

“...This isn’t Revachol, is it?” A girl’s voice comes from the speaker.  
“This is a circus.” There’s a loud screech in the background.  
“Well, at least when I’m done here, I’ll get moved to the main course.”  
“I should probably rent a room here, shouldn’t I, big bro?”  
“I'll go continue harassing that fashion model, shouldn’t I?”  
“What do you mean we can’t? They keep saying I *raped* her.”  
“Well...that doesn’t count! I’ll just do it Soldier of the Apocalypse style! You know...like that grenade!”  


DICE’s Account - The victim was shot in the room of Junko Enoshima, thereafter, they hung the body on a tree, in order to hide the cause of death - as they did not wish to implicate Junko in the murder.

I scroll further down.

Mukuro Ikusaba’s Motive - Mukuro is Junko’s little sister, who absolutely fawns over her (according to Junko herself). She’s incredibly overprotective as well - so when the victim started getting close to Junko, it is likely that Mukuro was the one to eliminate the victim - due to jealousy or otherwise.

Mukuro Ikusaba’s Method - Mukuro likely had access to the roof, as Junko claims that she has shown up there without access to her room. The current theory is that she takes the shot out on the roof, with the dark, and slips by unnoticed back downstairs.

Inland Empire - No.

Huh?

Inland Empire - That’s wrong.

Logic - Don’t mind him. He’s always like that.

Volition - He’s still a part of you though. With good reason to speak.

This is the most plausible theory we have right now…

“Ah! I still have some questions for DICE!” I recall.

Rhetoric - We got driven off topic last time too.

Logic - I would say driven *on topic*, actually. 

Shuichi nods.

“We have to get them to tell us where Mukuro is, too.”

I take a look at my Monopad’s journal.

<strike>Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
Start the Initial Interviews, first starting with Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.  
Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.  
</strike> Find the person smuggling The Despair Video.  
<strike>Interview DICE about their involvement in the murder.  
Interview Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista of Class 78.  
Identify the woman killed.  
</strike> Find Mukuro Ikusuba, the Ultimate Soldier and the main suspect.  
Determine where the shot came from - by checking out Land’s End, the boardwalk, and the Islet.  
Find out who killed the woman.  
<strike>Name the case.</strike>  
Type up a summary of the case.

“Alright! Let’s make sure we get ready.” Kaito grins.

“Not yet!” Maki sighs.

“Breakfast first. Let them finish.”


	26. A Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I look to Kokichi, who’s sitting next to the yellow-haired boy.
> 
> “You four weren’t there, were you?” I ask, as my eyes flicker to the twin-tailed girl and the brown-haired girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Danganronpa Zero, in this chapter!
> 
> Other than that, this chapter's pretty...boring? I still hope you enjoy reading it.
> 
> Man. The past few chapters have been *dragging* for so long...thank god *that* arc is over. Now I just have to finish up DICE's as well, and we're done with this part of the story.

9:46 AM

“How many times are you two going to come back? Seriously…” The man in the fringe looks between me and Shuichi.

Rhetoric - Start the conversation with the Footprints thing.

I look to Kokichi, who’s sitting next to the yellow-haired boy.

“You four weren’t there, were you?” I ask, as my eyes flicker to the twin-tailed girl and the brown-haired girl.

Logic - Wait, I thought it was only Kokichi and the...

“Huh?”

“The man in the afro said that all of you did it together.” I cross my arms.

“But you four weren’t there, were you?”

“What are you talking about?” The main with the fringe quickly chimes in.

“Like he said, we were all there, together.”

...They’re not letting this go, either.

“What makes you say that, Kaede?” Kokichi smiles under the mask.

Suggestion - A bait.

Rhetoric - But one worth taking.

I pull out my Monopad.

“At the crime scene, there were eight pairs of footprints.” I explain.

“Size numbers range from 41 to 46. Kokichi and the twin-tailed girl over here wears *39*.” 

“You wear 40.” I look to to the yellow-haired boy.

“And you, 38.” Then, I turn my gaze to the brown-haired girl.

Wait, hold on, I just realised how small those shoes are. What?! 

Logic - Wait...something’s...wrong. Wha…

Volition - Calm down. Nothing’s wrong - it’s just imagination over here messing with you.

Inland Empire - Oh, why don’t we place *all* the blame on me, huh?

“But there’s still 2 more set of footprints unaccounted for, as well.”

“A size 44 that has a smoother right sole - the person who was trafficking an important item, and another regular size 44.”

Kokichi takes his mask off, still smiling.

“And what does this mean, Kaede?”

Uh...crap. I didn't think that far ahead…

“It means that the other two members that we’ve constantly talked about were involved.” Shuichi quickly explains.

“And that the four of you - weren’t involved, or at least weren’t present for the lynching.”

“And that’s why we need to talk about Mukuro Ikusaba.” Shuichi grips on his cap.

“Wow! Shuichi to the rescue!” Kokichi’s eyes start sparkling again.

The man with the fringe crosses his arms.

“We think she’s the mai-” 

Suggestion - Hey. What are you doing?

Huh?

Suggestion - You’re going to tell these guys that you suspect a person *they* trusted - is the murderer.

...Good point. I should probably say something else…

“She’s someone who can give us some clues on Natsumi’s killer. That’s why we need to know where she is right now.”

“Sounds more like you’re trying to make her a suspect in this!” Kokichi smiles.

The man sighs.

“She’s not one of us, so I’m willing to give you some info. But she’s someone we work with quite often. Unless you give me a sound theory, I can’t tell you anything.”

Work with to do *what*?

Logic - Pranks. Maybe murders?

Let’s try to form a solid theory, then...

Logic (Failed) - Nothing is happening. The pieces are there, but they remain unconnected.

...I suppose I have to do this myself...

Logic - Yeah. Sorry. I’m not coming up with anything. But the pieces *are* there. She could have done it, somehow. Wala-wala-bing-bang. It’s just...not coming together right now.

I’m sorry, but…’wala-wala-bing-bang’?

Logic - Just a thing I learned from a witch doctor. Didn't work this time though.

...I mean...okay.

I can’t figure anything out myself, either...

Volition - It’s fine. This is a really big mess, and being a detective is hard. 

Volition - We’ll take it as a learning experience. What components do you need to implicate Mukuro?

Drama - No, no! She needs to say ‘Five hundred Lears - and I still can’t remember the first line’!

And now...the liar in me is...making really obscure references. I don’t even know what *that’s* from.

Drama - Actually, I consider myself a *thespian*.

Encyclopedia - Manic Street Preach-

You know what, I don’t *want* to know.

Let’s just...get the ‘components’.

Logic - Here you go. These are the pieces. Access to the roof, weapon and motive. It’s not…*too* hard. We can make it easier too. Come on, gang.

Savoir Faire - For starters - we should search the Whirling-In-Rags for hidden passages that could’ve been used to get to the roof.

Esprit De Corps - We should check the kitchen - like Shuichi suggested earlier.

Perception (Sight) - We should do a thorough search of this room as well. It’s possible that something’s hidden around here.

Inland Empire - There’s a…*spooky* building, west of here. Take a flashlight with you, and search the basement. There are secrets. Magisterial, ancient, mysterious secrets that may assist you.

Drama - Say the phrase!

Logic - Everything but that last one.

Logic - It’s that simple.

I start looking around the room, and see a ceiling height window in the back.

Perception (Sight) - There’s a little slide panel up at the top.

Logic - Lets air in.

Perception (Sight) - Outside the window...

Perception (Sight) - Hawthorn branches.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - On one of the branches…

Perception (Sight) - A yellow ribbon.

Why’s *that* there?

Perception (Sight) - It’s light yellow. Probably was there for a while. There’s a bronze key hanging from it.

Visual Calculus - It’s close enough to the latch up there. Someone can just - slide it open and take it.

Logic - Slightly suspicious, is it not?

“Could one of you pass me that key over there?”

I point at the key outside the window.

“Huh?” The man in the fringe looks behind him.

The brown-haired girl stands up, and is barely tall enough to jump up to reach the slide and grab the key.

She walks up and passes it to me.

“Ah...thanks.”

She gives a quiet nod.

Interfacing - It’s brass.

Perception (Sight) - It says ‘Workshop, Spare’ on its bow. The girl goes back to sit down.

“Any of you place this there?” I ask.

“...Nope. We didn't even know it was there.” The pink haired woman shrugs.

Kokichi jumps up.

“Hey, maybe it’s a way to reach the roof with that key? And then with that you can prove that Mukuro is guilty because she has a way to reach upstairs?!”

“Just kidding! That was a lie. I just made it up.” Kokichi starts looking back to his nails.

Drama - ...A half-truth? I suppose he meant that it was a theory, Madame.

Inland Empire - You know...it’s weird.

What is?

Logic - The biggest liar lies about telling the truth.

“We should check out the kitchen with this key.” Shuichi mutters.

Visual Calculus - He’s right. It’s the only place you haven’t checked *thoroughly* yet.

10:02 AM

“And there are no public phones for Monaca?” The girl in the wheelchair asks, tearing up.

“Closest one is down the coast. Good luck with that.” Byakuya responds coldly.

“What’s happening here?” Shuichi asks, as we approach the counter.

“The Whirling’s phone line isn’t working, and this girl wants to call someone.” Byakuya crosses his arms.

“She keeps coming back asking questions, even though there’s nothing I can do.”

Logic - No mystery here. It’s Junko.

“Why did you need to use the phone, Monaca?” I ask, bending over.

“Monaca needs to call Big Sis! We need to tell her that we’re delayed a while.” She smiles.

“Monaca’s friends are delayed, still. They were supposed to come back yesterday night, but Monaca hasn’t heard from them…” She starts crying again.

Empathy - Once again - fake crying.

Why is she trying...to manipulate me?

Empathy - I don’t know. We’ll figure it out as we go.

“They’re on an expedition, and they’re always planned so well! But now, they’re missing...so...Monaca is scared…”

Conceptualization - A missing *expedition*. Now this is interesting.

“What is this ‘expedition’ that your friends are on?”

“They’re doing science stuff! Studying insects!”

“But they’re late, so I don’t know where they are. They were just going down the coast…”

Logic - The water lock! It was broken. That’s why!

“The water lock on the other side of the coast is broken, Monaca! They’re just stuck over there.”

“So you don’t have to keep worrying about them!” I smile.

“Ah! Monaca thanks you! You helped Monaca a lot!”

Inland Empire - This surely will lead to a cryptozoological mystery. An *extremely rare insect*...

Conceptualization - Yes! Some out of left-field scientific research is *exactly* what you need right now. Funk up that *vanilla-ass* murder investigation with this!

“If we see them, we’ll tell them that you’re waiting at the Whirling, Monaca.” Shuichi grips on his cap.

10:23 AM

“So, now we have a few hours to play with.” Maki comments, playing with her hair.

“Yup. The kitchen only opens to us at about 1 PM, so we have a bit of time.” 

“Ah, *crap*!” Kaito suddenly shouts.

“Kaito?! What is it?” Shuichi quickly asks.

“We...don’t have a place to stay.” Kaito starts sweating a little.

“Speaking of which...where did *you two* stay for the past few days?” Maki asks.

“Ah...we’ve been staying here, actually. The Whirling also acts as a hotel.” Shuichi answers.

“We should probably rent a room here too, Kaito.” Maki sighs.

Logic - Ah...wait. All the rooms are full here, aren’t they?

“Uh...Maki?”

“What, Kaede?’

“There’s only three rooms here…” I mutter.

“And? Two of us can share a room.”

“But the third room is taken right now. Shuichi and I are living in the first two.”

Maki sighs again.

“Kaede, I’ll sleep in your room. Kaito, you just head to Shuichi’s.”

Drama - *WHAT*!? But this is such a perfect moment for a cliché…

“Shuichi.” Kaito instantly looks away.

“Isn’t two guys sleeping in the same room kinda…” He starts sweating.

Empathy - Wait...that’s not...right. He’s *trying* to convey the discomfort, but...he’s not really...

Esprit De Corps - Come on, Shuichi! We’ve talked about this before…

“Huh? What are you talking about, Kaito?” Shuichi asks, perplexed.

Kaito coughs.

Empathy - A fake cough.

“Ah...you mean…” Shuichi starts sweating.

“Yeah! That.”

Esprit De Corps - Yeah! Come on...please, bro!

“What are you two talking about?” Maki asks, eyes darkening.

“Ah! Nothing...nothing at all…” Kaito instantly goes back to his smile.

Maki narrows her eyes, but lets it pass.

THOUGHT COMPLETE

A ‘Huge Evil Secret Society’

_If you asked Kokichi about DICE, he would say that his group is a *huge*, *evil* and *secretive* society. Unfortunately for him, DICE is simply a small group of high school aged (or younger) students who commit crimes that are...pretty laughable, to be honest. They range from pranks to even petty theft. But - they have one important rule._

_Don’t kill *anyone*._

+1 Esprit De Corps  
-1 Authority 

THOUGHT COMPLETE

Ultimate Fashionista?

_Hah. That’s funny. More like Ultimate Analytical Prowess. Junko isn’t just some model who got famous off her looks - no, no. She has a talent in ‘analysis’. Skills, talents, planning, manipulation, hell - even - let’s say, messing with someone’s skill set? That’s child’s play for her. Why don’t we get the person’s abilities to analyze the person next to her instead? Sounds like *fun*. Gets rid of the boredom._

+1 Volition  
+1 Drama  
+1 Half Light  
-2 Composure 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter (only 1.8k words! oh no).
> 
> It just hit me that *at most*, we're only about 1.5 days in, and we're *already* at near 70k words.
> 
> Well. This is going to take awhile to finish.


	27. The Pinball Workshop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Please. Keep Sayaka safe for me, alright? Have fun!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh...I kind of forgot to write the stats for the past three thoughts.  
This is like the third time now? I should probably pay more attention.
> 
> *You* wanted this, so you *have* to win.  
+1 Composure  
+1 Shivers
> 
> A ‘Huge Evil Secret Society’  
+1 Esprit De Corps  
-1 Authority
> 
> Ultimate Fashionista?  
+1 Volition  
+1 Drama  
+1 Half Light  
-2 Composure  
  


10:25 AM

Composure (Failed) - Hey! It’s fine! She’s just...been manipulating you the entire time! Lying about stuff, and possibly commiting the murder.

That...does not make me feel any better.

Volition - We were talking about this from the *start*! But at least that explains a bit...

That...still doesn’t make any sense either. Sure, when we first met her, these…

Suggestion - Me?

Drama - Us.

Guys were saying ‘he’, because *apparently*, they were interpreting the wrong person. But after that, they started referring to Junko as ‘her’. 

Logic - Maybe she stopped manipulating us at that point? Or maybe that was someone else who took her place, who does not have the same manipulation ability?

Volition - And now you’re coming up with basically impossible ideas to cover her!

Logic - Hey! It’s not impossible, per se...

Volition - You’re telling me that someone impersonated a model, literally labelled ‘Ultimate Fashionista’.

Logic - Yeah! She used her...analysis magic!

Volition - And Shuichi didn't call her out, or anything? With her looking exactly the same. Next thing you’ll tell me is that she has an identical twin.

Logic - Yeah. What *if* she does?!

Inland Empire - Nope.

Perception (Sight) - Actually, I can’t really...

Volition - What now?

Perception (Sight) - I didn't bring it up before, because I thought it was irrelevant, but she *did* look a bit different the second time...

Wait, seriously?!

Volition - You’re kidding me.

Perception (Sight) - I think.

Logic - See? It’s possible.

Why didn't you point this out before?!

Perception (Sight) - It’s uh...slightly embarrassing.

Volition - What was the difference?

Perception (Sight) - Uh…

Volition - It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it. But if there was *anything different*...

Perception (Sight) - I’m...pretty sure her bust size was smaller.

…

Volition - …

Drama - Well, sires. I believe this has been quite the waste of time. Shalt we continue with our theories?

Logic - Yup.

Perception (Sight) - I’m serious, though.

I sigh, looking back to Kaito playing chopsticks on the piano and messing it up.

Interfacing \- “Kaito, if you can’t play it with both hands at the same time, why don’t you try the right hand part first?” I ask. 

“But cheating isn’t the way to go, Kaede! Even if it’s impossible to learn both parts at the same time for a beginner like me, I’m going to make it possible!” He grins.

“Hey, Kaito. Since cheating is such a big deal for you - remind me again, how did you take the astronaut exam so young?”

“Actually, they called it the Astronaut Aptitude Test, or something. And I’ve already told you. I got my friend who was good at forging doc-”

“Not my point.” Maki frowns.

Interfacing - Wait…

Interfacing (Success) - Did *you* forge those documents for him?

What?

Volition - Probably not.

Interfacing - You’re a pianist, so you’re good with your hands. Maybe...it was *you*.

I...have a feeling I didn't do that.

Interfacing - He heard of the Ultimate Pianist, then begged for her to help him forge some documents! You would be torn between helping him or leaving him alone.

Volition - That’s not *untrue*...

Interfacing - We need to think about this one!

I let out another audible sigh, looking back at my Monopad while waiting for Kaito to finally get it right or give up.

Esprit De Corps - Though he would never do the latter.

10:28 AM

I decide to look through some of my older cases.

Inland Empire (Success) - That’s the one. ‘THE SQUARE BULLET HOLE MURDERS’.

Huh?

Inland Empire - Read it.

I tap on the icon.

Logic - A square-shaped entry wound in the victim’s forehead.

Inland Empire - Her body had already been there for *weeks* at the point that we found her. She was in her rocking chair. Square hole in her skull and facing the wall.

...What makes this case so special?

Logic - That’s *it* for that specific murder.

Inland Empire - After a half hour you spent trying to piece the solution together, that’s all you know. The entry wound is square-shaped.

Logic - You never found the bullet. But, before you could figure anything out…

Inland Empire - Another body showed up, with another square hole.

A serial killer?

Logic - Who knows. The next few pages are empty. What next?

Wait, so there’s a serial killer on the loose...

Inland Empire - Don’t worry. One day.

Conceptualization - One day, you will catch the man with the square gun.

10:30 AM

As I start scrolling through the cases, I find interesting ones like ‘THE COUCH IN AN UNEXPECTED LOCATION’, or ‘THE PUPPY VIDEO HACKER’.

Logic - These are a lot more lighthearted, as they took place in Japan rather than Martinaise.

Until, I finally find ‘Makoto Naegi’s Request’.

Inland Empire - Wait, no!

I tap on the mess of words.

Perception (Sight) - Your eyes are teary.

Huh…?

Perception (Sight) - There’s two things on a list. Number one is a link to…

Encyclopedia - A website of a zoo in Revachol East.

Perception (Sight) - Second is a short note.

I tap on the first link.

Perception (Sight) - Two octopuses smiling at the top. In the middle, there’s a constantly changing barcode. The aquarium costs extra, and they gave you access to that too.

Empathy - Now what should you do there, I wonder.

I press the back button on the side, and head back to the list.

The note…

I start reading it.

Inland Empire - You fool!

It’s...handwritten.

Visual Calculus - A young man. Care and effort was put into this note. Maybe even a smile.

‘Hey, Kaede! I had a bit of trouble this week, so I was wondering if you could help me out a bit.’

Volition - Throw it away. Turn it off. Close your eyes. I don’t care. Just stop reading. Please…

Perception (Hearing) - Outside, the wind howls. A gale blows in from Martinaise, flapping street signs and window blinds.

Shivers - COME OUTSIDE.

Huh?

Shivers - Far away. Outside. Reeds hiss with desperation. Step out.

I slowly get up from the piano.

I pull on the door handle.

Perception - It’s starting to rain.

I look back at the Monopad, leaning against the wall.

Volition - Stop. Please.

But...I have to help this person, don’t...I?

Perception (Hearing) - No! A merciful wind blows in from the bay. The wind dusts the ground at your feet, raising newspapers *far away*.

Perception (Hearing) - The rain intensifies. It’s asking.

Shivers - COME OUT. PLEASE. THE RAIN. IT’LL HELP.

What…was that?

Shivers - Frisson covers your body. A feeling of cold. A chill.

Interfacing - The Monopad will get wet with the rain. It’ll...

Inland Empire - Step out. Let it.

Volition - Stop reading.

I…

I stand under the shelter of the balcony of the Whirling-In-Rags.

And continue reading.

‘I promised Sayaka that I would go on a date with her this Sunday! But...Kyoko has an important case - and she says I *have* to help her.’

…

‘So could you help meet up with Sayaka? If it isn’t too much trouble...I *really* don’t want to disappoint either of them - and I heard you were going to Martinaise, this Saturday, so…”

Perception (Sight) - The corner of your eyes darken.

‘Please. Keep Sayaka safe for me, alright? Have fun!’

Endurance - The air in your lungs are gone.

Logic - Blood sucked out of your head.

Perception (Sight) - Small white dots appear, as everything goes dark.

Conceptualization - Sparks fall like snow. A bow collector distancing.

Interfacing - The Monopad slips from your hand.

And there was nothing.

Again.

...Nothing?

Well, almost nothing, at least.

Where...am I?

You’re *Passed out on the ground* is where you are.

Dragged around by one of the other evil apes. They’re taking you somewhere.

There’s a light on in Hope’s Peak.

Who’s...that?

That’s me. The hazel eyes. That’s me.

No...who was *that*?

Who was what?

She speaks of the guilt. Even in the darkness, she’s grasping for it. Holding on to the great sorrows slipping in water.

…

They call it ‘the shadow’ - you know.

Because it’s always there.

Perception (Smell) - Tell her! Tell her! Tell her!

What...was the bow collector about, then?

What *was* that all about?

Was that the ex-something? The…

The bloated corpse of the past.

I’ll...just lie here.

You think they’ll let you? Someone’s watching you right now, inspecting your pupils, you stupid idiot.

It’s cold…

That’s cause they’re *pouring* something on and into you. It’s…

Perception (Taste) - Delicious.

The world is monochrome for a second.

Then, the colours come back.

...Where am I?

Inland Empire - In Shuichi’s room, in the Whirling-In-Rags. The air is thin here. 

Perception - The bed feels comfortable.

Perception - Cold water runs down your chin.

“Oh...you finally woke up.” Shuichi mutters, getting up from a chair.

“It’s water. Drink.”

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi picks up a canister on the table, extending it to your mouth.

“No...I’m fine.” I rub the top of my head, as I always do when I wake up.

“Kaede, you’ll die if you don’t.” He pulls on his cap.

“You’re dehydrated. Drink. Please.”

Volition - There’s no point arguing with him. He’s exerting the reserves of his Authority, that he usually withholds.

I drink from the canister.

Endurance - The pounding in your head recedes.

Logic - And the darkness parts.

Perception - He slightly tilts the canister.

Perception (Hearing) - There’s someone outside the door.

Perception (Hearing) - They pull on the handle.

“Oh, you’re up.” Maki walks through the door.

Empathy - In her voice - a tinge of worry.

“You know, Kaede - the human body is not *meant* to survive off alcohol alone.” She frowns.

“You need to take care of yourself.”

I laugh nervously, and continue drinking from the canister.

Perception (Sight) - Some of the water spills onto the bed.

“What happened?” Shuichi asks.

“Uh...I should probably ask *you* that question.” I smile.

“You were teaching Kaito how to play the piano, then you just...left without telling us. When you were gone for about five minutes we went out to check on you, and found you passed out at the entrance to the Whirling.” Shuichi explains.

“How...long was I out?”

“Around two hours. We were going to get you to a hospital if you didn't wake up by one.” Maki looks at the clock.

“So...what happened?” Maki asks again.

“I...I found something.” I say nervously.

Reaction Speed - Wait! Where is it?!

“Where’s my Monopad?” I quickly ask.

“You dropped it.” She picks up something from the table and passes it to me.

12:54 PM

“So, what did you find?” Maki asks curiously.

I quickly scroll through my cases.

‘Makoto Naegi’s Request’.

“I didn't even know they counted these under Deadly Life…” I murmur.

I bring my hand closer…

Interfacing - No! Not...again…

Volition - It’s too much.

Empathy - He notices your twitching fingers.

“Are you alright? You can rest for a while, if you have to.” 

“No...I’m fine.”

“That’s what you said when you woke up, too.” Shuichi mutters.

“Are you good to go, Kaede?” Maki asks.

“Let’s...solve this case.” I get up from the bed.

12:56 PM

“Kaede! You’re awake!” Kaito grins, as the three of us walk down the stairs.

“Um...yeah.” I bite my lip.

“I learned how to play it! Wait, listen.”

He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and…

Conceptualization (Success) - First set.  
Conceptualization - G.  
Conceptualization - F.  
Conceptualization - Second set.  
Conceptualization - G.  
Conceptualization - E.

Yes, I know.  
Conceptualization - Third set.  
Conceptualization - B.  
Conceptualization - E.

“You’re playing it wrong already.” I cross my arms.

“Huh?!” Kaito starts sweating.

“The third set is B and D, not B and E.” I shake my head.

“Let’s get going already.” Maki sighs.

1:00 PM

Perception (Sight) - The doors are wide open, for anyone to waltz through. 

Logic - The cook is gone.

We walk into the small kitchen.

Perception (Sight) - The kitchen is pretty filthy - in all honesty. There are a bunch of stains everywhere. There’s a sink on the left, with dirty plates in it. Next to that - is a green fridge.

Perception (Sight) - After that, it’s cabinets and ovens, as well as a microwave. On the top shelf, there’s cookbooks with what you assume to be recipes in them.

Perception (Sight) - On the oven’s wooden top, there’s a cutting board in place.

Perception (Smell) - An aroma of spices fill the air.

And past that…

Perception (Sight) - A heavy steel door. Dimple lock. Painted blue.

Inland Empire - Blue is the color for mystery!

I look through my bag for the key that DICE passed me earlier, and find it in one of the side pockets.

I push it into the lock, and try to turn it.

Perception - It takes a bit of effort to turn it, after all these years. The lock still clicks, however.

Inland Empire - Dust rises like mist. A tomb. Haunted by spirits from distant ages.

Perception (Smell) - No. Smells like...engine grease and wood. A workshop.

“Hey...Maki. I can...hold your hand if you’re scared, you know?” Kaito tries to force a smile nervously.

“Do you want to die?”

“Ah...haha. Shuichi, what...about you?” Kaito starts sweating a little.

“No, thank you. I’ll be fine.”

Empathy - Urk! A stab to the heart.

I pull the door open, and walk into the room.

Kaito lets out a gasp as the door opens.

The room is tinted green, with fog around.

On the left side of the room, there’s a pinball machine.

Perception (Sight) - The theme is swords and horses.

On the right, another pinball machine.

‘White Deora’.

Perception (Sight) - Shows a female figure mourning.

Interfacing - All these mesmerizing machines, just waiting to be plugged in and played.

I run my finger across the machine.

Interfacing - It might jump back to life at any moment. The light illuminates the white robed woman.

“Any of you up for some pinball?” I ask.

“I’m up for it! Anything to get us out of here…” 

“These are broken, Kaede.” Maki sighs.

“The only one that works is the one in the hall. The Royalist Pinball, I think.” Shuichi notes.

Encyclopedia (Success) - ...There was supposed to be something...no, someone here.

Huh?

Encyclopedia - …

Perception (Sight) - ‘The spare key is tied to the bush outside the window!’ is written on a note on top of the machine.

On our left, there’s a small elevator.

Perception (Sight) - Dimly lit by a bulb.

Inland Empire - It’s been glowing for *ages*.

I look into it.

Perception (Sight) - The latticed cage is open. It smells of nougat and sweat. There’s a control panel on your right.

Visual Calculus - Barely enough space for two people to fit.

Perception (Sight) - There’s also a maintenance card under the control panel.

‘Last Maintenance: 10 July, 1988’

“The last maintenance was in 1988?!” I quickly yell out.

“Huh?” Kaito’s eyes get even darker.

“The last century…” Shuichi mutters.

“I say we brave it.” Maki shrugs.

“Bright side - it fails, we only sustain minor injuries.” 

“How *minor*, Maki?” I question.

“Well, only three, four months in the hospital. Maximum, I would say, is five.”

Rhetoric - The whole enthusiasm is sarcastic.

Perception (Sight) - There are three large rectangular buttons.

Perception (Sight) - ‘Monter’, ‘Descendre’, and ‘Call for Emergency Assistance’.

Interfacing - The third one’s broken. The wires are out.

“There’s only space for two people to go up.” I shrug.

“Then, logically, I think it’s best Kaede and I head up.” Shuichi suggests.

“If the elevator does fail, that public execution can still be stopped by Maki.” Shuichi explains.

“If Maki gets injured here, we have no one that’s able to stop that tribunal - leading to deaths.”

“Wow, Shuichi. You’re thinking *that* far ahead?” I ask, sweating.

He nods.

“Lives are at stake here.”

“Kaito is…” He looks towards Kaito, who’s shaking his head vehemently.

“Nah...I would...rather not.”

“Well, you two should head up.” Maki sighs for the third time today.

We step into the elevator, and I press the ‘Monter’ button.

1:12 PM

We walk out into the cluttered room.

Perception (Sight) - It’s a dark room, but a desk light illuminates the room.

Shuichi looks around the dusty room, inspecting a shelf.

Perception (Sight) - The windows on the right are taped shut. You can’t see outside.

I walk towards the desk, around a shelf of tools and parts.

Perception (Sight) - On the desk, there are schematics for a pinball machine. It has a futuristic theme.

Why am I looking at this? This...doesn’t help the investigation.

Logic - So this is where they brought faulty pinball machines to fix them up. This was a long time ago…

“This...this used to be a pinball workshop.” I mutter.

“A pinball arcade, before it became a hostel?” Shuichi suggests.

Perception (Hearing) - A creak, some dust falls off a shelf.

I stand up, deciding to explore the room a bit more.

Perception (Sight) - Wait…there’s...

“Shuichi. You might want to have a look at this.”

“Huh? What is it?” He quickly rushes over.

I point towards the carpet on the ground.

“...These are new.” Shuichi mutters.

“Someone’s been here -- within the last week or two.”

“...Three weeks, maximum. Could easily be one week too…”

“So someone had a secret route, leading to the roof. The roof where, so far, we believe the victim was shot from.”

I crouch down.  
“I’m gonna get a closer look.”

Visual Calculus - Large prints, made by boots. The size is hard to determine (sole could be bigger than vamp). They leave a pattern. Uniform, horizontal lines.

“It’s not the ‘Odd-Sole’...” I mutter.  
Shuichi squints.

“The size looks the same, though. They’re not the same shoe, but it might be the same person…”

“Yeah...I don’t think we should rule out Mukuro, yet…”

“They don’t look like the prints from the hanging, either, though. Those looked...different.”

I stand up.

Perception (Sight) - Careful. There’s a small set of stairs…

As I approach the door...

Perception (Sight) - Wait!

Huh?

Perception (Sight) - Your right!

A...tiny hole in the wall?

Perception (Sight) - Into Junko’s room.

“Shuichi, there’s...a peephole, here.”

He walks behind me, as I move out of the way for him.

“...You can barely see through…”

On my left, is the barred door.

Logic - The door you tried to kick in before.

I unbar the door, and pull it open.

To find us on the roof, once again.

“Hi, you two!” Junko smiles.

Shivers (Failed) - The sky slowly slides above you. Raining down.

“Hey, Junko.” I give a slight wave.

“That door…” I point towards the previously barred door.

“Did you know that it leads to a downstairs elevator?” I ask.

She turns to face the door.

Perception (Sight) - Her eyes widen.

“You think...Mukuro got in that way? She could’ve come through up there!”

“It’s possible…” Shuichi murmurs.

She looks at the door with a worried expression.

“There were tracks, too. Recent footprints.”

“Huh...that isn’t good.”

“Well...I just thought we’d warn you.” I say, as I open the door to the workshop.

“Ah...thanks!”

Shuichi and I get into the elevator once again.

This time, I press ‘Descendre’.


	28. A Theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We’ve been through this already. It’s just not possible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Wow* this chapter sounds disconnected.
> 
> Well. DICE's dialogue might sound a bit...strange, at times. I kinda ripped out a lot of it, because I don't really feel comfortable giving personalities to the characters myself.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, either way.

1:21 PM

‘The Pinball Workshop’ has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad.

THOUGHT COMPLETE  
Precinct 41  
_Motor garages with armored carapaces. Shivering personnel rush in and out of the building. *ONE* precinct, for the entirety of Jamrock. 41 gets a bad rap. The shitiest station, they say. Harrier Du Bois? That man’s insane. The only thing they have - is Captain Pryce._

_That’s what they say. But *you* know better. They don’t just have Captain Pryce. They have the craziest cop in town who gets his work done - and *you*. (for now)  
_ +1 Esprit De Corps  
+1 Logic  
+1 Authority  
-1 Savoir Faire  
-1 Electrochemistry

A method for someone to reach the roof...but…

Logic - It’s possible. Even though *you* might feel like the roof is not a very possible location to shoot from, just because someone said they didn't hear any gunshots doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.

“Shuichi, do *you* have anything?” I ask.

“Ah...not right now. It’s hard to think…”

Esprit De Corps - ...Why isn’t it starting up? I can’t focus like this…

“Maki?”

“I don’t have anything so far either.” 

I sigh. 

"Kaito?" 

"Nope. Nothing here either." He looks away.

What about you? Can *you* think of anything?

Logic (Success) - A sudden flash of lightning in your neocortex.

Logic - The cafeteria is lit by an eerie blaze of the lights. Floor plans. Bullet trajectories. Webs of emotions. All of it - channelled into a single thought.

Logic - We have a small outline of things.

“Shuichi, remember when we were talking about how we don’t think the shot came from the roof?” I ask.

“Ah...yes. What is it?”

Logic \- “I think we need to change our theory up a little. If we want to get Mukuro’s location from DICE, we’re going to have to implicate her.” I explain. 

“Let’s agree - for now, that the shot came from the roof.” 

Logic - Here’s what we need to do.

Logic - First. Get Mukuro unaccounted for at *some point* during the night.

Logic - Then, place her on the roof - where she could have shot the victim.

Logic - After that, a murder weapon.

Logic - After *that*, a motive.

Logic - Should be easy enough. You know what? Let’s just figure it out on the spot. This is easy.

Huh? That’s...not a very good idea.

Volition - He’s not going to think otherwise…

“Kaede, you got something?” Kaito asks curiously.

“I’m ready.” I nod.

“Let’s get going!”

The four of us approach the mess hall again - hopefully, for the last time. 

“You woke up.” The gardener comments.

Perception (Hearing) \- “Hey! Second-In-Command! They’re back again!” 

There’s a loud groan, followed by someone standing up and walking towards the entrance of the small mess hall.

“So. Got a theory yet, Ace Detectives?” He sighs.

“So...on Sunday night, 11:30 to 12:15, do any of you know where Mukuro went?” I ask.

“Yeah, she was with us. Near the stage.” The gardener points towards the karaoke stage with yellow latex gloves.

“And in the *whole* 45-minute window, she was with you guys the entire time?” Shuichi prods.

“...She did leave for two moments.” The brown-haired girl recalls.

“Yeah. One was when she went to the washroom…” The pink-haired woman continues.

“And the other was when she left to get to her lorry!” Kokichi smirks.

“Just because she left for five minutes doesn’t mean she got onto the roof to shoot the girl, though.” The man in the fringe mutters.

“We’ve been through this already. It’s just not possible.”

Reaction Speed - They’ve been through this already? *They’ve* suspected her too…

Logic - *Alright*! We’re in. Shuichi got Mukuro unaccounted for some time. This is *crucial* to the case. Now, we get her on that roof, detective.

“Did you know that there’s a secret route in the kitchen that leads *straight* to the roof?” I ask rhetorically.

Kokichi laughs.

“What did I say?! Called it!”

“Shut up, boss.” The man mutters, looking back at Kokichi.

“How?” He asks, turning back to us.

Empathy - He’s sincerely curious.

“Through an abandoned pinball workshop.” Shuichi adds.

Perception (Hearing) - “Urk…” Kaito groans.

“Hey, didn't they say that this used to be a pinball arcade, or something?” The yellow-haired boy pipes up.

“Mhmm. The East Delta Pinball Arcade. Went bankrupt a while ago.” The pink-haired woman answers.

“...How’d she get up, then? There’s no room for a staircase in this building, or even an elevator.” The man with the fringe questions.

“The elevator’s *outside*.” Maki answers.

“It’s a dumbwaiter. It was used to move pinball machines up and down from the workshop.”

“Then, from there, a door leads *straight* to the roof.” I add.

“She could’ve gone up, shot the victim, and come down under *seven* minutes.” Maki closes her eyes.

“Interesting theory, Kaede. But you’re gonna have to try harder than that.” Kokichi places a finger over his lips.

“Do you have *anything* to back this route up? Or is that already it? Cause all you’ve proven is that Mukuro *could* have done it - with access to the elevator.”

“There were foot-”

Rhetoric - No. There weren’t.

Huh?

Rhetoric - Do not bring that up.

Rhetoric - That contradicts the theory that Mukuro was the culprit.

Wait, what? How?

Rhetoric - Remember, Mukuro is the ‘Odd-Sole’. The shoe size on the floor was the same, but bringing that up gives Kokichi a bit of leverage when arguing - as we can’t be sure that it’s Mukuro’s footprints. The make of boot was a bit off too.

Right...wait, so he was just baiting us?

Rhetoric - I don’t think so, but it’s possible.

“Remember the key you gave us?”

“What *about* the key we gave you?”

“It opens a steel door in the kitchen - which leads upstairs to the roof.” 

“And this key has been right here - all this time.” Shuichi grips on his cap.

"For her to take."

Logic - It doesn’t fit *well*, but it fits.

“So, is that enough for all of you?” Kaito smiles.

“We’ve proven that Mukuro could have had access to the roof, where the victim was killed.” Maki sighs.

“That’s all we need.”

“Oh, no, Maki.”

“What do you want, you rat?” Maki glares at Kokichi.

“That’s *not* all you need. A route does *not* put a bullet in someone’s head. Mukuro doesn’t carry a gun - at least from what *we* know. And how are you going to shoot someone without a gun?” Kokichi asks.

“Hey, Maki. How are you going to shoot someone without a gun, huh? If you can do it, show me!” He says, with sparkling eyes.

“You little...” Maki’s glare intensifies.

“Maki Roll...calm down. He’s just trying to get to you.” Kaito pats her back.

Logic - Phase II: Murder Weapon. Get a gun in her hand. This should be easy.

“Did you guys know…”

Suggestion - Drop it on them.

“That Mukuro Ikusaba is actually the Ultimate Soldier? She was from Hope’s Peak.”

“Ooooh! Now it’s getting interesting!” Kokichi grins.

“Boss...did you know?” The man in the fringe looks behind him.

“Nope! If I did, I wouldn’t have suggested working with her.” Kokichi says, with a serious look.

The man sighs.

Empathy - Relief.

“She worked with a mercenary group, known as Fenrir.” Shuichi recalls.

“It would’ve been easy for her to get a gun.” Kaito comments.

“The bullet was jacketed as well. Rare in these parts - unless you're a mercenary.” Maki adds.

“Well, I still have one last question.”

“What?”

“Why would Mukuro kill Natsumi?” Kokichi asks.

Empathy - He wants to know *your* answer.

Logic - Phase III: Motive.

“Junko told us that Mukuro was her sister as well - and that she was pretty overprotective.”

“She was so overprotective - that they believed Junko would be murdered by her. So, she decided to kill Natsumi before she murdered Junko.” I elaborate.

Conceptualization - That sentence was *so boring*!

Logic - Many pieces fit together. Kokichi has to face it.

“She organized the cover up as well.” Shuichi remarks.

“...She had a fully formed plan, and shit…” The blond man mutters.

“So, you’re suggesting she killed her, then suggested the cover up to cover up *her* trail.” The man with the fringe recounts.

I nod.

“Why are we still covering up for *her*, anyways?” Kokichi grins from the back of the room.

“She skipped town. That’s a sign of guilt, you know.”

Logic - *And* she’s skipped town. This is good.

“You guys understand now? Things just don’t add up - we *need* to talk to her.” Kaito shrugs.

The man with the fringe looks towards the gardener.

He nods.

Perception (Sight) - A very small nod.

“....There’s one more thing *I’ve* been wondering about, too.” The man with the fringe takes his mask off.

Perception (Sight) - A playful smile on his face.

“Ever since you asked me where she is. Add it to your list.”

“We *don’t know*.” He grins.

“No matter how hard we asked, she wouldn’t tell me.”

“Why?”

“She was afraid that we would tell *you*.” Kokichi smiles, giving a thumbs up.

“And she was right. By now, we probably would have.”

Drama - Not a lie, from what I can tell, Madame.

“We’ll tell you all we can, but there’s not much.” He puts his mask back on.

“It won’t be easy, either.” The gardener adds.

“When did she leave?” I ask.

“She left Friday! After she came in to see me.” Kokichi leans back in his chair.

“...” Shuichi places a finger under his chin.

“Why was she scared of the RCM?” He mutters.

“Oh, no. Don’t get me wrong.” The man raises both his hands.

“I meant her, not the RCM.” He points towards me.

“'The cop in the *bright-pink* outfit'.”

Inland Empire - No wonder she’s afraid. You’ve come to declare the ending of the Human Experiment.

Drama - Probably knew you from your singing days.

Wait, what?!

Perception (Sight) - Kokichi gives a barely perceptible look at your tie, and quickly looks away.

You and I are going to dance in the moonlight - under a billion stars.

“Why was she scared of *me*, though?” I ask.

Empathy - Maki looks at you worriedly.

“She just said that you had a funny taste in clothes.” He laughs.

“And - that she won’t stop.” Kaito adds.

The man nods.

"How'd you know?" 

“Won’t stop?”

“Until you *have* something on her. She’s heard of you, you know.” He plays with his cuffs.

“A human can-opener.” Maki chuckles to herself.

“Playing suspects against each other, and opening them up like cans.”

What…?

“Wait, did she just…” The pink-haired woman asks, slightly dazed.

“Open us up like cans? Yes, she did.”

“I’ve never noticed until now, but you *are* insistent…” Shuichi nods.

“Anything else?” Maki asks.

“Yeah. There *was* something else.” He looks down.

Empathy - Worry.

“It was burning on her lips, while we were talking. She just went: ‘She...she…the cop...’, but she never finished the sentence.” Kokichi adds.

“Any clues on where she went?” Kaito asks.

“Not far, that’s for sure. She didn't take the lorry, so she’s on foot.”

“Good luck, though. She knows this place like the back of her hand.” The brown-haired girl remarks.

“Have you looked for her?” I ask.

“A little, on the coast.”

“Where on the coast?” Shuichi quickly jumps.

“Past the water lock. You're gonna have to wait for the repair, though.” He shrugs.

“One last question.”

The entire room sighs in relief.

“Anyone know what she’s doing with...ULAN Frequencies?”

“She said that she’s...building a…” The pink-haired woman’s voice goes quieter.

“A pale emitter.”

“There you have it.” The man with the fringe shrugs.

“Any idea where we should start looking?” Kaito asks.

“Oh, you know I can’t ever resist answering a question my precious Kaito has asked!” Kokichi smiles.

“There’s a small village - out on the coast. If I were you, I’d start there!”

“Oh, wait! What does she look like?” I quickly ask, before I forget.

“Boyish. Short, black hair. Freckles.”

“Thank you.” Shuichi nods.

The man turns back to the group.

Esprit De Corps - People aren’t afraid of good cops - in the way Mukuro is afraid of you, he thinks.

2:31 PM

As the four of us sit down on one of the cafeteria benches, waiting for our meal to finish cooking, I decide to start up some small talk.

“I didn't even notice the cook come in, to be honest.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Kaito bows one of his arms.

Esprit De Corps - Ask Maki.

“Hey, Maki.”

“What is it?”

“What was that about the Human Can Opener?” I ask.

“Oh, that? That’s just a nickname we came up with for you.” She smirks.

“Huh? Why?”

Logic - I mean, it’s true.

“Kaede, have you *looked* at your case list? You literally have the most solved cases as a Hope’s Peak student, excluding Kaito.”

Perception (Sight) - Her eyes flicker to Shuichi, then back to you.

“They weren’t *all* simple cases too.” Kaito grins.

“I mean...I noticed that I had slightly more cases under my name than the others, but still…”

“Kaede. You have two years of service as a Hope’s Peak student - and you have twenty-four cases under your belt. Word spreads around.”

Esprit De Corps - Yeah. The only reason why Precinct 41 treated you like shit is because they treat *everyone* like shit.

And the awkward silence begins anew.

Volition - Hey.

Oh god, another one.

Volition - You think you have a pretty hot suspect right now, don’t you? That Mukuro girl.

What about it?

Volition - Notice how it came together without casting too much suspicion on *Junko* -- it was nice and *Mukuro-centric* in the end.

...What do you mean?

Volition - Anything strike you off about the mish-mash?

Visual Calculus - Well...first, the bullet didn't even have to come from the roof. It could’ve come from *anywhere* on the coast.

Volition - Absolutely. It could have come from *anywhere*. But you’re suddenly so sure that it came from the roof, behind the window. You even stated yourself - you don’t think the shot came from the roof.

Hand/Eye Coordination - Turned out that the gun was an antique…

Volition - True. Strange how you conducted the whole *advanced ballistics analysis* then hand-waved it?

Perception (Sight) - The footprints didn't match the Odd Sole…

Volition - No, they didn't.

Perception (Hearing) - And - so far, no one has mentioned hearing the shot.

Volition - Notice how this hasn’t come up at all. Even DICE didn't mention it. Neither did you.

…

Volition - That’s right. ‘...’ Just finish the thought and conveniently go on. She’s smiling right now, you know that? Free as a bird on that roof. Thinking: Man, am I glad that Mukuro’s in this shit, and not me! 

Logic - Don’t listen to this guy. The theory was solid. He’s just jealous. Move on, it’s no use harassing her further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh *god* this chapter felt off to write.
> 
> Well, at least the arc's over now.


	29. The Bookstore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Wh-what do you t-think you’re doing?!” A woman’s voice comes from behind me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a late chapter that doesn't really live up to expectations imo
> 
> Well, either way, I hope you enjoy it.

3:02 PM

“I’m stuffed…” I mutter, leaning back in my chair.

“The cook here’s pretty good, isn’t he?” Kaito grins.

“They’re not bad.” Maki answers.

I look back at my Monopad’s Journal.

<strike>Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
Start the Initial Interviews, first starting with Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.  
Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.  
</strike> Find the person smuggling The Despair Video.  
<strike>Interview DICE about their involvement in the murder.  
Interview Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista of Class 78.  
Identify the woman killed.  
</strike> Find Mukuro Ikusuba, the Ultimate Soldier and the main suspect.  
Determine where the shot came from - by checking out Land’s End, the boardwalk, and the Islet.  
Find out who killed the woman.  
<strike>Name the case.</strike>  
Type up a summary of the case.

“We can’t do anything until the waterlock’s repaired.” Shuichi states.

“There’s nothing to do other than to wait, for now.”

I nod.

“They said that it would be repaired tomorrow. Can’t be *that* much of a wait, right?”

Now, what do we do for now?

Volition - Arrest Junko.

Composure - Crownhead, how many times do we have to say this?! We need to think this through before arresting her.

Drama - Think *what* through?! She’s been lying to us the entire time! It’s up to Madame whether or not she wants to arrest the woman - but still...

Inland Empire - Investigate the spooky building in the west.

Conceptualization - Paint on *the* wall.

Reaction Speed - Speaking of which…that...is not a very good idea.

Conceptualization - What’s your problem? Just cause you’re not creative doesn’t mea-

Reaction Speed - Angie’s painting there, remember? 

Half Light - What if we anger her god? OH NO! AVOID THAT WALL AT ALL COSTS!

And...we’re off topic again.

Hey, isn’t the building west of here the bookstore?

Visual Calculus - Yup.

Well, I guess we’ll do that first.

I pick myself up from the bench.

“I’m gonna go into Touko’s bookshop.”

“Why?” Maki asks, slightly surprised.

“I don’t know. My gut’s telling me there’s something there.”

“There’s not much to do here, anyways. You might as well head there.” Maki looks away.

“Ah, I’ll follow, then.” Shuichi raises his hand.

“Kaito and I will stay. We’ll see if we can find anything here like that key from earlier.”

I nod.

“Well, let’s go, Shuichi!”

I pull open the door, and step out into the raining streets again.

Esprit De Corps - I still can’t believe that Shuichi and Kaede managed to do a field autopsy and found the cause of death in a day.

Esprit De Corps - I mean, it’s to be expected, isn’t it, Maki Roll?

Perception (Sight) - The outside of the bookstore is quiet.

Logic - Chihiro’s gone in, because of the rain. There are some books that are still out here though, getting slightly soaked in the stands.

I look at the glass door for a second - then push it open.

Perception (Sight) - Inside, the bookstore is coloured in a nice, orange hue.

Behind the counter, there’s a slightly disheveled woman, sitting down and writing something in a book.

Perception (Sight) - She has long, freely flowing purple hair, with an ahoge. She’s wearing what looks like a blue dress, with glasses.

Logic - Probably Touko, the owner of the store.

Suggestion - She probably doesn’t want to be disturbed right now.

Perception (Sight) - In the room, there are shelves everywhere, with disorganized books inbetween.

Perception (Sight) - Left of you, are the action, adventure books.

Basically all the titles contain *Hjelmdall* somewhere…

Pain Threshold - FOR GOOD REASON!

Perception (Sight) - Further down, there’s Chihiro, sitting down in a chair.

I give a silent wave, and he smiles back.

Perception (Sight) - On the right, there are stairs leading up.

Perception (Sight) - Slightly further to the right, there’s a curtain.

I decide to walk up the stairs, while Shuichi follows behind.

“Ah...Kaede, if you don’t mind, I’m going to explore by myself, a bit.”

“Sure! Go ahead.”

He immediately moves to one of the shelves.

Perception (Sight) - The shelves are overburdened with books from the same series. You see the name ‘Dick Mullen’ - over and over again, but with slight variations like ‘Kyoko Kirigiri’s investigation’, or ‘Danganronpa’.

Logic - Crime fiction.

Inland Empire - From another world.

Perception (Sight) - As you walk up the next flight of stairs that bend left, you see a woman, sitting down and reading a book.

Perception (Sight) - Jan Kaus. From Ignia.

Pain Threshold - It hurts even reading the name.

Perception (Sight) - She looks young, but mature at the same time. She’s *extremely* pale, with black, shoulder-length hair and dark blue eyes. She’s pretty slender, too.

Inland Empire - Wait...this isn’t good.

Volition - Hm? What do you mean?

I approach the woman.

Authority - Ask if she needs the help of someone in the RCM.

Huh?

Authority - Just do it.

Inland Empire - It’s not smart...but maybe...just maybe…

Volition - Spit it out!

Inland Empire - You of all people should know that I can’t.

“Sorry, Ma’am. But do you, perhaps, need the police’s help?” I ask awkwardly.

She looks up from her book.

“What with?”

Reaction Speed - What *with*? A lot of things! For example, people tend to go missing.

Inland Empire - A best friend. A sister.

“Maybe your best friend is missing? Or a sister?” I ask.

“...” Her face turns to a frown.

“Actually, yeah. How’d you know?”

Inland Empire - “Cause I’m a psychic.”

The woman covers her mouth, chuckling to herself.

Empathy - A sad note slips into the quiet laugh.

Inland Empire - You remind her of the one she’s lost.

She looks away.

“One of my friends disappeared a few days ago.” She recalls, looking down.

Empathy - Genuine worry.

“She’s usually really punctual, so when she left a few days ago and didn't come back, I was pretty worried. I haven’t called the police yet, because she doesn’t get lost easily, and had a friend with her.”

“Hmm...alright. What’s her name?”

“Sayaka Maizono.”

Inland Empire - That’s what I was afraid of.

Volition - Oh my god.

Logic - So. This woman is missing. And the last time she was seen…

Rhetoric - She was with you.

Composure (Success) - It’s fine. You didn't do anything wrong.

But still…

“What does she look like?”

“Pale skin, dark blue hair, and she’s pretty tall. She wears this pink ribbon on her dress, you’ll know it when you see it.”

“When did you last see her?”

“About...four days ago. It was still November.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

When did she send me those messages…?

I look back at my Monopad, scrolling down.

28 November…

Logic - She’s been missing for four to five days now…

“I’ll inform you if I find anything!” 

“Ah, right! You might need this.” She passes me a card.

‘Satomi Aoba’

‘Apartment Room #20’

“Us idols aren’t allowed to use our phones, only the corporate ones they give us. If you do find her, please do let me know!” She smiles hopefully.

Drama (Success) \- “I will.” You nod, smiling back.

...You guys are acting *really* weird about this Sayaka person…

Inland Empire - Oh, you’ll see why.

I walk back down the stairs, waving at the woman and walking past Shuichi.

Logic - Before we leave - check the curtains.

I look to my left, coming down the staircase.

Perception (Sight) - A tattered set of curtains block the way to another room. There’s a strange, cage-like trinket dangling in front.

Encyclopedia - It’s a...charm. A polyhedron, but an irregular one. Assembled with bones, sticks and straws. There’s a fish-head, with empty eye sockets inside.

I reach my hand out...

“Wh-what do you t-think you’re doing?!” A woman’s voice comes from behind me.

I turn around, to see the disheveled woman standing behind me, her face a shade of red.

“T-that’s off-limits for c-customers.”

Empathy - She’s nervous and afraid - not specifically of you, but of *people* in general.

“Ah, really?”

“U-Unless you’re tr-trying to go on an adventure to the p-p-p-”

She stutters heavily on the last word.

“Paranormal, th-there’s no reason for you to go i-in.”

Composure - She’s so tense, it’s an actual christmas miracle that she hasn’t snapped in half yet.

We aren’t scared. There’s some marvellous adventures on the other side.

This is...what, the third time now? That I’ve heard...my *tie* talking.

Inland Empire - It’s more than that at this point.

Rhetoric - See what she has to say first.

Inland Empire - Something *is* mysterious about the curtains. Be careful.

“Wait, so you’re the owner of this bookstore?” I ask.

“Y-yeah. I’m F-Fukawa Touko.”

Perception (Hearing) - “Not that you’ll remember it anyways…” She mutters under her breath.

“So...why are you so scared of these curtains?” I ask, pointing towards them.

“T-this place is cursed.” She bites on her nail.

“Th-they don’t call this area the D-Doomed Commercial Area for nothing, y-you know.”

“Huh? What curse?”

She peers at the curtains.

Inland Empire - Didn't that...wait, didn't that curtain just *move*?

“Th-there’s something wrong with this building. Ever s-since I’ve rented out the s-store, there’s always that...eerie l-lingering presence here...a-as if I-I’m unwanted…” She steeples her fingers together.

Empathy - There’s ecstasy in her voice.

“I-It feels just like when Master has his gaze on me!”

Uh...that’s...slightly creepy.

“L-Like there’re void wraiths...o-or s-something.”

Conceptualization - Wow. *Void wraiths*. That’s a new one.

“N-Normally I don’t b-believe in th-this stuff, but m-my best friend got caught up in some nonsense...and…”

“Did you get anyone to help you out with this?”

“W-What? No! I-I just moved i-in yesterday.”

“I could try to investigate, to see if the curse is real, you know.” I suggest, trying to calm her down.

“I-is your brain th-the size of a pea? W-we should stay away, so the s-spirits can sleep! I-I’ll w-wait for a real professional, t-thank you very much.” 

Drama - My liege! You know what this case calls for? A *para-detective*!

“I-I haven’t even told you about th-the entity yet!”

“The Entity?” I ask.

“Y-yes. The o-one in the passage b-between hell and heaven…”

*What* is she talking about?

“And what about this entity?” I ask.

“Urgh! Nevermind! J-Just go see for yourself!” She places a key in my hand.

“Go find it. I-I don’t care anymore.” She goes back to sit down behind the counter again.

I look back at the key in my hand.

Perception (Sight) - Rusty.

Logic - It’s old.

“Hey, Shuichi.” I call out.

“Ah, I’m coming down.”

Perception (Hearing) - He places the book into the shelf, and starts walking down the stairs.

I pull the curtains open.

Perception (Sight) - The room is dimly lit. Full of dusty furniture, covered with cloth. A door sits in the back, covered by some other charms.

Inland Empire - Your shadow looms over it - like an omen.

Shuichi comes down.

“Toko wanted me to investigate this area. Could you help me out?” I request.

“Ah, sure. What does she want us to investigate for?”

“A curse.”

Shuichi looks back to Touko worriedly.

“Uh...alright. Sure.”

We both walk into the dusty room.

Perception (Sight) - The door is covered in dozens (if not, hundreds) of trinkets and charms. It’s locked.

Pain Threshold - We could try breaking the door down.

Physical Instrument - HELL YEAH!

Logic - She has the key, you meatheads. There’s no point.

I push the key into the lock.

Perception (Hearing) - After exerting some force, you manage to turn the key - but it’s eerily silent.

Perception - The door slides slightly open, and a draft of cold air enters the room.

“Shuichi...maybe you should go first this time too…”

“Ah...again?”

“I was kidding. Let’s go.”

I push the door open.

Perception (Sight) - Into *another* dusty room.

Physical Instrument - ARE THOSE WEIGHT STACKS?

Perception (Sight) - There’s a punching bag that has sand dripping on your left, some dumbbells, a barbell and other equipment.

Logic - A gym.

Physical Instrument - The barbell’s 60 kg. Your *triceps* hum at the sight of these weights. Show the world what kind of beast it’s dealing with. LIFT IT.

Visual Calculus - There are no collars on the barbell. It’s a safety hazard.

“What...is this place?” Shuichi looks down at the ground.

“Probably a gym.” I suggest.

“Yeah, but…” Shuichi draws a stripe on the dusty floor with his foot.

“It’s been ages since someone showed up here.”

“Oh, right…”

“You might want to get the flashlight out. The electricity probably doesn’t work here.”

Perception (Sight) - Some specks of dust shimmer in the daylight, falling from the window. The room is dark, other than that.

Perception (Smell) - Smells like sweat and leather.

Inland Empire - An eerie feeling rises in your chest…

“What...if there’s a *reason* no one’s been here for ages?”

“Hmm…” Shuichi covers his mouth.

I place my bag on the ground, and start looking through it.

Perception (Sight) - In the corner. The police flashlight.

I take it out, flicking it on.

Perception (Sight) - There! Under the bench, there’s a shot put ball.

Inland Empire (Success) - ...Huh?

My head...aches.

Empathy - Shuichi’s noticed it too. A stray tear falls.

What...is this?

Esprit De Corps - From now on…

Empathy - You’re going to carry on my wish.

What...does that mean?

Logic - A memory.

“Huh…?” Shuichi rubs his eyes.

“Why...am I…”

Inland Empire - Hey, bookhead. Is this a good - or a bad thing?

Encyclopedia - Depends. I don’t know what they’re doing, but *you* do.

Inland Empire - Wait, why is *he* affected by this? Isn’t it...

Shivers - HE WAS ALSO CHOSEN.

Inland Empire - Wait, there can be more than one? I knew it! I thought he was talking to himself in his head...

Shivers (Success) - THERE ARE THREE. 

What...are you guys talking about?

Inland Empire - She’s still here. Nevermind. We’ll talk later. Thought she’d pass out on that one.

Hey! Aren't you guys supposed to be helping me?! 


	30. Extra: Valentine's Day Special

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pain Threshold (Failed) - THERE ARE *SO MANY* TROPES - IT ACTUALLY HURTS
> 
> A slight bit of fluff - to make up for all the angst so far. Takes place after Danganronpa Elysium's events.

13 February, 2021

9:02 PM

“Oh my god, I love you, Maki!” I pull her into a hug.

“Hey...that’s enough already.” She lightly pushes me off.

Empathy - She’s smiling.

I giggle.

“No, but really, though! Thank you! I don’t think I could’ve done it by myself!” I smile.

Tsumugi hugs her heart-shaped chocolate box.

“The start of a new story...a pianist and a cosplayer in a different world!”

Inland Empire - Both literally, and metaphorically.

“I can’t wait to present this to her...”

Perception (Sight) - She’s drooling.

Empathy - An obsession? Similar to Nagito last year...

“Er...Tsumugi, are you okay?”

“Oh! Maybe I could make some extra for Gonta too…”

“She’s not listening to me, is she?” I look at Maki, who smiles back.

I look back to the heart-shaped box in my hand.

Volition - He’ll accept it. It’s okay. There’s no need to panic, Kaede.

You say that, but still…

Authority - Damn it, just give it to him tomorrow! It’s not that hard, *pianist*!

E-Eek! I-I’ll do it...

Kirumi enters the kitchen.

“I hope that my services were adequate.”

Rhetoric - That...isn’t sarcastic. Wow.

Encyclopedia - Nothing less to be expected from the Ultimate Maid.

“Ah, definitely! Thank you too, Kirumi! I can’t believe you managed to get these recipes, and walk us through how to make them…”

“A request is a request.” She gives a slight bow.

“Well, I shall take my leave. Gonta requested that I take care of his insects.”

“See you, Kirumi!”

I look back to the other two girls.

Tsumugi’s still hugging her chocolate, while Maki is staring at hers.

Esprit De Corps - Do I *want* to give that idiot this?

I lightly nudge Maki.

Drama - “Hey. It’s okay to give it to him, you know. I’m sure he’ll like it.” You give a reassuring smile.

All she does is nod quietly, still staring at the box.

“I’m gonna go to bed. I don’t think I’ll get much sleep if I sleep any later.”

“If you can even fall asleep in the first place.” Maki smirks.

“I know, I know…”

I push the door open into Maki’s room, tuck myself into one of the futons. 

I sigh, closing my eyes.

I wonder what Shuichi’s doing…

I pull out my phone, and tap on Shuichi’s contact.

Ugh...I can’t do this…

Volition - Yes - you can! You just have to believe!

Suggestion (Success) - Well, let’s start.

9:04 PM

“You’re kidding me.” I mutter.

Insight - No, he’s not.

“TOMORROW’S VALENTINE’S?!”

“You...*forgot*?” I ask nervously.

“Come on, man. Give me a break.” Hajime looks down.

“What do I get for Chiaki? Wait, what can I even get now?” He mutters to himself.

Makoto smiles.

“You could try a game console...maybe there’s one at a local store?”

Wait, something’s off...

Homme Fatale - By the way, we *did* get the blonde something, right?

Recollection - An image pops into your mind. A pair of high-end headphones, a teddy bear and white chocolate.

Research - Three gifts, eh? If Kaede just gives you chocolate, you would give her *triple* the gifts - perfect!

That’s it!

Patience - Hm? What’s wrong?

We’re supposed to return triple the gifts on White Day, *not* Valentine’s...

Research - You’re not wrong…

Wait, so I got talked into this by you guys - and wasted money on chocolate?!

Amour Propre - Uh…yeah.

...Well, crap.

Kinship - Give it to her anyways. She’ll be happy to receive it.

Good point...she’ll like it...right?

Wait, so why are Hajime and Makoto talking about giving gifts…?

Detective’s Hunch - Something’s off.

Deduction - Perhaps, another glitch in the matrix.

I sigh.

Well...I suppose I might as well give her the chocolate, since I bought it…

Oh, my phone just vibrated.

‘Hey, Shuichi! You wanna meet up somewhere tomorrow?’

‘Ah, sure. Any place you have in mind?’

‘What about...the art building? Let’s meet in the Music room!’

‘Ah, right. Hope’s Peak opens on Sundays. Sure!”

I smile.

Amour Propre - Told you.

“So, where are you and Kaede going tomorrow?” Hajime turns to me.

“Ah, the music room, haha...” I laugh nervously.

“You laugh it off like it’s nothing - but seriously, when you two play together…” Hajime strums an air guitar.

“He’s not wrong! I always enjoy listening to your duets on the piano!” Makoto chimes.

Hajime looks towards the clock.

“Ah, crap! I need to run!”

“Good luck!”

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow!”

14 February, 2021

10:07 AM

"What about...Rhapsody in Blue?" I suggest, flipping through the pages. 

"Ah...sure. I haven't practiced it much, though..." Shuichi says, sweating a little.. 

Empathy - He's worried about disappointing you.

"It's fine! Or else I might've bought all these duet scores for nothing!" I flip through the sheet music. 

"Alright, ready?" 

He nods. 

"I'll start." 

I place my fingers on the keys gently, and... 

Interfacing (Success) - Press!

Conceptualization - If only there was an audience here to watch this absolutely *stunning* performance.

Logic - Well, it's a Sunday, so... 

Conceptualization - I know, but if only... 

10:19 AM

“Wow, Shuichi. You’ve really gotten better since last year.”

“Ah, you think so?” He scratches the side of his head bashfully.

“Yeah! We actually managed to finish the entire piece, this time!” I smile, putting the sheet music away. 

Suggestion - “So...I have a bit of a reward for you.” You wink.

Searching through my backpack, I find the heart-shaped box at the top.

“Here you go!” I place the box into the palm of his hand.

“Ah...th-thank you.”

Empathy - A slight tinge of shock and disbelief in his voice.

He opens the box up, pulling out a heart-shaped chocolate.

He bites out a small bit.

Perception (Sight) - His eyes widening a bit.

“These are handmade, aren’t they?”

“Yup! Kirumi taught me how to make them!”

“They melt in the mouth nicely…”

Shuichi reaches into a small bag, taking out a square box.

Logic - Probably *yours*.

“I bought these a bit early, but - here…” He opens the box up - revealing white chocolates.

Drama - The scene's *perfect*, Madame!

“Will you be my Valentine?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conceptualization - How unimaginative.


	31. The Doomed Commercial Area

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Half Light - RUN!!!!!

4:08 PM

[Shuichi and I walk through the dark doorway, with Shuichi pointing the flashlight forward, and me holding on to his sleeve.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NTS_ELw9Xo)

Perception (Sight) - The doors here are gone.

“Careful. There are stairs here.” He points, though I can barely see his figure.

I nod. “Sorry for having you do this...I don’t normally get scared easily, but…”

“Ah...no, it’s alright…”

Volition - It’s okay. After *that*, who wouldn’t be spooked?

Composure - Ryoma.

Volition - He doesn’t count.

I try to use my Monopad as light, though it doesn’t go further than a few metres in front of me.

We walk up the stairs, and enter a different room.

“The building here’s pretty big, huh?”

He nods silently.

Perception (Sight) - To your right, debris blocks the way.

“Shuichi, we should head left. The right’s blocked off.”

“Ah, alright.” He turns to the left, which leads to an abandoned hall.

Perception (Sight) - Wild animals stare at you, stuffed and mounted around.

That’s a pigeon…

Moving slightly further, we spot some mannequins.

Perception (Sight) - Yellow and dusty. What clothes used to cover it?

“That’s...creepy…” I comment.

Perception (Sight) - There are some airship rotors, rusted and dusty. Abandoned.

There’s a slight bit of light - slipping in, there…

Shuichi follows the furniture, moving left.

In the back, is another room.

Shuichi enters, using his flashlight to look around.

Perception (Sight) - Ski blades and rotor blades…they’re marked with ‘Slipstream’ - a logo.

Conceptualization - Looks like someone tried to *reconceptualize* their business here.

Huh?

Conceptualization - The skis and rotor blades have the same logo, right? It’s likely that they started out making one, failed to make a profit, then decided to pivot to producing the other.

Logic - But - the question is - which did they start with, and which did they pivot to?

Conceptualization - A good question.

And…?

Conceptualization - This is further proof - that Reality itself - is ruthless.

Inland Empire - *Very*.

Perception (Sight) - Wait!

What is it now?

Perception (Sight) - You can pull out the cabinet here, under the workshop. It’s already slightly out.

I lightly pull it out, finding a cube-like object.

Perception - The crisscross of filaments feel fragile. There’s silver tape on the side, reading ‘PRODUCTION SCHEDULE’.

Encyclopedia - A Filament Memory. You can read what’s on it using a radio computer.

Shuichi stands in the doorway.

“Did you find anything?”

“Yeah. A filament memory.”

“Those are ancient…” Shuichi remarks.

“Maybe there are radio computers here?” I suggest.

“Maybe. Let’s keep exploring.”

Item Obtained!

179\. 'Production Schedule' Filament Memory

As we walk past the cluttered and untidy furniture, I hear clicks and clacks in the background.

Perception (Hearing) - They were loud, too.

Logic - Maybe rats? Or something.

“Hey...Shuichi…”

“What is it?”

“Did you…*hear* that?”

“No, why?”

…

I...I’m hearing things.

Perception (Hearing) - No, you’re not.

As we continue moving in the large, dark room, we come across two large boards.

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi’s light slides over the old, green chalkboard - covered in scribbles and sketches.

Perception (Sight) - The writings have faded quite a bit with age, and you can barely make out some of the photos and drawings pinned.

Perception (Sight) - There’s a drawing of a short magical girl with a bow and arrow, along with wings.

A cupid?

Conceptualization - A Magical Girl concept.

Perception (Sight) - The rest of the board are filled with writings of plot ideas. The character in another universe, things like that.

Conceptualization - Fan content, perhaps? These are much too *abstract* to be put in the normal world of a show in the ‘Magical Girl’ concept.

Inland Empire - Behind you!

Huh?

I quickly turn around, seeing a small, cube-like machine.

Interfacing - The keyboard has a rectangular on/off button, and a piece of paper hangs from the printer. A cube-shaped heart, with a wired framework.

“A radio computer…” He comments.

“Just...here.”

Perception (Sight) - In the dark, his eyes narrow.

Esprit De Corps - Careful, Kaede. Something’s wrong.

Reaction Speed - What he means is that these things cost *money*. Why would anyone just leave it behind?

Interfacing - The Rehm Civic radiocomputer. RC5120. Feld mainframe, and Rehm-compatible printer.

“Should we turn it on?”

“You still have that Filament Memory, right?”

I nod, holding it up in my left hand.

He walks up, and presses the ON button.

Perception - The machine lights up - an animal waking up from hibernation. The PLAY and PRINT keys turn virescent. 

“Hey, could you pass me the memory?” He asks.

“Ah, sure! Here.” I offer it.

He grabs it, using the flashlight to look around the compartment.

He inserts the filament into place.

Perception (Sight) - The PLAY key started blinking.

He presses the play button, and the keyboard starts humming.

Perception (Hearing) - The sound of static seeps through.

Inland Empire - Have you stirred the ghost of the Doomed Commercial Area from its rest? Could this be its heart, beginning to beat?

Perception (Hearing) - The static only gets louder - filling up the hall. Suddenly, a voice speaks up, crackling and high-pitched.

“Rise and Shine, Ursine!”

Uh...what?

“This is the East-Insulindian Repeater Station! Fortress Accident, just to make sure - did you guys just insert the Production Schedule?”

“Yes.” Shuichi says, matter-of-factly.

“Good. Please repeat the password!”

“Ah...we don’t have that, do we?” Shuichi turns around to me.

“I didn't find anything relating to a password…”

Shuichi nods.

“We don’t have it.”

The girl on the other side starts humming.

“Received! We’ll register this log-in attempt for now. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Logic - Don’t worry. Passwords tend to…’show up’ sooner or later.

“That’s all for now, thank you.”

“Goodbye! Bearwell!” The voice disappears into static.

“That was...strange.” Shuichi comments.

“...You think?”

“Well, there’s not much to do with this. Let’s hope we find the password sooner or later.” Shuichi removes the cube object, and passes it back to me, where I put it back into my bag.

We turn back to the large boards.

Perception (Sight) - On closer inspection, one of the boards is actually a fireplace - covered in lines, drawn with blue and red markers.

Conceptualization - The whole thing resembles Kedran Mosaic tiles. Very...Pisantic.

I...don’t even understand what they’re saying anymore.

Logic - Welcome to the club.

Perception (Sight) - Radio frequencies. UKV123.6, UKV123.7, UKV123.9. There are some written notes, too. But those are sparse and cryptic.

Radio frequencies…

Reaction Speed - Wait! Anything about the ULAN frequencies?

Perception (Sight) - Doesn’t seem like it. The web is completely comprised of radio stations - and they all lead back to one red mark.

Perception (Sight) - The Writer frequency.

There’s a note there…

‘This one can listen in on any station it wants?!’

Interfacing - They must have had *massive* airwidth. Those don’t come cheap in Martinaise.

Inland Empire - Then who’s the Writer?

Logic - Someone very important.

Authority - The leader of a massive on-air work written and read by these people.

Conceptualization - A conductor for the hundreds of story threads - that pass through the Writer’s Frequency.

Perception (Sight) - A list of names under the station suggest that people across *seven isolas* would be writing. Mundi, Insulinde, Katla, Graad, Samara and even Asia and Iilmaraa.

Empathy - All of this work...gone. Just left here - unrealized.

Logic - There’s no way a basement studio working *here* could pull this off.

Shuichi leans in closer, tracing the lines with the flashlight.

“The less money they had, the more ambitious they became…”

Interfacing \- “The cost of the airwidth *alone* would have been too much…” 

Shuichi nods.

“Especially here. This company was running out of funding - and very quickly.”

Anything else?

Perception (Sight) - Nothing. Lines on marble. An echo from times long gone. No one has used this fireplace in *ages*.

“Shuichi...what’s going on here?”

Inland Empire - Someone tried to exorcise *the curse* using technology.

“...To me, it just looks like…” He places his hand over his mouth, going blank once again.

He...does this quite often, doesn’t he?

“...No, wait. That’s wrong.”

“Huh?”

Esprit De Corps - But...what? I can’t...that’s…

Empathy - He’s panicking a slight bit.

Composure - Something in his head went wrong.

Kinship (Success) - Hey. Can you guys hear me?

Half Light - AAAHHHH! WHO ARE *YOU*?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!

Kinship - Calm down.

Composure - I *am* calm.

Volition - This is new. Who are you?

Kinship - I’m just like you guys - but I’m in Detective’s head.

Conceptualization - Most interesting.

Volition - So your ability is telepathic communication. That’s...great, actually.

Kinship - Not exactly. But whatever.

Kinship - I’m just here to tell you that Shuichi’s deduction abilities are being messed with.

Volition - Like that Junko situation…

How?

Kinship - I don’t know. It’s like...something’s blocking it out, and giving him the wrong answer. There's something bigger at play here.

Kinship - Well, I’m done here. See you guys later.

Hey, wait!

Perception - And he’s gone.

I sigh.

“Shuichi, you alright?”

He nods solemnly.

“Ah...yeah. I think they wanted to send pieces of *automated* writing over a network.”

“Automated?”

“Yeah. It’s absolutely *insane*. It’s nearly impossible, and even then, there’s no confirmation that the work that got churned out isn’t just gibberish.”

“Let’s keep moving.” He turns away, trying to find the door.

“Ah! Wait for me!”

He pushes the door open, leading to a lighted hallway that moves further downstairs.

As we reach the bottom…

Half Light - RUN!!!!!

WHAT IS THAT?!

Perception (Sight) - A bear?! With glowing red eyes! There’s blue fog surrounding it.

Encyclopedia (Failed) - It’s standing completely still...why?

“Um...Shuichi!” I call out quietly.

“Hm? What is it?” He quickly turns around, hearing the urgency in my voice.

“We need to run! There’s a bear!” I point.

“...” 

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi carefully inches around it, pulling up his uniform to reveal the gun.

With the gun in his right hand, he approaches the bear, until…

Perception (Hearing) - A sigh.

Empathy - Of relief.

“It’s a...fridge, Kaede.” He pulls out a compartment of the bear’s belly, revealing a low grumble.

Logic - But *why*?!

Conceptualization - It is *art*.

Perception - A gust of freezing cold air rushes into the room.

I jog up to Shuichi, who’s reading a note he found inside the fridge.

Esprit De Corps - Shuichi’s *detective instinct* is still active.

“Miss Miu Iruma, if you’re here - you’re likely looking for the off-site copy of the filament memory. If so, it is currently in the frozen ice cream maker. Please do take it home ASAP - Hope’s Peak would murder me if I lost this. Take care.” Shuichi reads.

He looks back at the fridge, examining an ice cream wrapper.

Perception (Sight) - A friendly cartoon bear smiles back from the wrapper.

Perception (Smell) - Vanilla and Chocolate.

“What is this doing here?” I touch the bear.

Visual Calculus - A taxidermy, perhaps?

“A fridge - perhaps they were selling ice cream?” Shuichi suggests.

“They were selling ice cream from this hypercarnivore?”

Perception (Sight) - You know what’s funny? The bear’s still costing them money - up to today.

How do you know?

Perception (Sight) - There’s a red cable running from the fridge.

Logic - Oh, my. The bill on that…

Shuichi closes the door, and we begin exploring the room.

We approach a large object - coated in black and rust.

Encyclopedia - A furnace. There’s a thick layer of coal dust over it.

Inland Empire - Looks like it has a face - one of agony.

“Used to heat the building…” Shuichi opens the door, peeking inside.

“No one’s used it in ages.”

I look inside as well.

Perception - It’s dark and grimy here. In the darkness, you can hear...talking. It’s coming from above. A voice -- or several voices talking to each other, near the smoke chamber upstairs.

Perception (Hearing) - The echo is making it hard to discern what they’re saying.

“Anything, Kaede?”

“...I think I hear...someone upstairs.”

“Wait, really?” He asks in surprise.

“We should investigate, see if someone’s upstairs.”

Physical Instrument (Failed) - You muster all your strength, and yell…

“Hello?!”

Perception (Hearing) - The chatter continues.

Logic - Maybe those voices are what Touko was talking about?

Huh?

Logic - Earlier, she was talking about ‘The Entity’ that lives between heaven and hell.

It’s possible, I think. Good catch.

Shuichi and I head to the opposite side of the large room, which uses pallets as a path.

Perception (Sight) - The flashlight casts a short shadow. There’s a hallway here…

“Hey, Shuichi…” I pull on his sleeve.

“What is it?”

“There’s a hallway there…” I point to our right. He shines the flashlight over, and nods.

“Ah, I see what you’re talking about. Let’s check it out.”

Perception (Sight) - This place looks older than the rest of the rooms here. There are cobwebs everywhere, and even rusty rifles here.

There’s a hole in the wall there, too…

Perception (Sight) - Yeah. A few bricks fell off - revealing a compartment behind the wall. It’s too dark to see right now, but something’s inside…

“Where is this?”

“An old bunker, perhaps, from the Revolutionary period? There are a ton of rifles here...probably an old weapons cache…” He points up towards the rifles under the ceiling.

Shuichi shines the light on the wall I was staring at.

“A hole in the wall…?”

I nod.

“There’s something inside, too.”

Shuichi nods quietly.

“Do you want to take a look, or should I?”

“I’ll do it.”

I look inside the hole in the wall.

Perception - Your hand reaches into the darkness. Spider webs...and then…

Perception (Sight) - Rifles!

“Shuichi, there are rifles here!”

He takes a step closer.

“Really?!”

Hand/Eye Coordination - Most of them are inoperable, but one catches your eye - a bolt action, with a fine wood stock. It’s in better cosmetic order than the rest. A Belle-Magrave.

I grab it with both hands.

“It doesn’t look functional, but…it’s a Belle-Magrave rifle.”

“It’s the same type of weapon, but not the same gun…” Shuichi comments.

“What does this mean?” I ask.

“There are still firearms - breech-loaders lying around Martinaise. If Mukuro wasn’t a mercenary, this would’ve been useful. It’s too late now, but still - might be useful down the road…”

Empathy - He still likes this find.

We walk back out, and further up the pallets.

Perception (Sight) - You hear the humming of a machine.

Encyclopedia - An ice cream maker - still running.

As we walk past several milk churns, we find an orange machine, buzzing.

“This is probably the ice cream maker in that note.” Shuichi mutters.

Interfacing - There’s a hand-cranked ice cream churner on top, and an electric freezer that appears to be frozen shut.

I turn the crank on top.

Perception (Hearing) - Oddly satisfying. In the distance, you hear water dripping.

Can I open up the lid?

Interfacing - Your fingers just slip off. You’re gonna need a prybar...no, a *super* prybar. Don’t try it with a regular one - you’d just be wasting time.

“Hey, Kaede - do you still have that prybar?” Shuichi asks.

“Um...I don’t think it would be strong enough here.”

Shuichi nods.

“It’s up to you.”

We walk past the circuit box, and decide to follow some stairs up.

We push open a metal door.

Which brings us back - to the outside of the Whirling-In-Rags.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to tune down the descriptions a bit (especially on Kaede's actions), so if you noticed a lack of them, that might be why.


	32. The Evening of the Second Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest - I wasn't very happy writing this chapter. I'm much more excited for the next, where the water lock opens up, but this chapter is just...weird. Like the past two.

5:24 PM

“A-alive and well, h-huh.”

The woman at the counter murmurs.

I place the flashlight that Shuichi passed to me back into my bag, and smile.

“Yep!”

“H-how was it?”

Drama - Tell her how *ghasssstly* it was! It’s what sssssssssshe wants to hear.

“...H-have you l-located th-the Entity?”

Logic - You don’t have anything of substance to tell her - until you’ve found that *Entity* of hers.

“Nope.”

“Y-You’re totally useless! H-how didn't fi-find it?”

“Hey! I’m still better than you, just sitting here doing nothing!”

“Ugh. Y-you two are w-worthless…l-look, I c-can’t go down th-there, a-alright?”

Empathy - A tinge of fear.

“You’re scared?”

“Y-yeah. Of ghosts.”

Drama - A half-truth, Madame.

“There’s another reason, isn’t there?”

“Wh-what are you talking about? I d-don’t know anything.”

Drama - That’s a straight up lie.

“You’re lying, aren’t you?”

“S-Shut up! Leave me alone!”

“That’s enough, isn’t it, Kaede?” Shuichi asks.

“Um...alright.”

Inland Empire - Don’t worry. You’ll be back here - sooner or later.

Shuichi and I pull open the door, and walk back out onto the streets, and we start heading for the Whirling-In-Rags.

We make a beeline for Kaito and Maki’s table, where they’re whispering about something.

“Hey there!” I wave.

“Ah, you two came back! We were worried.”

“So - what were you two gone for an *hour and a half* for?” Maki asks.

“Oh, the bookstore’s owner asked us to investigate a place for a curse, or something.”

“*A curse*?” Maki stares in disbelief.

“She’s not kidding.” Shuichi states, sitting down.

Reaction Speed - Your eyes turn to Byakuya for a second.

“Ah, crap.”

“What is it?” Maki asks.

Empathy - Worry - again.

“I don’t have any money for staying tonight either.” I whisper.

“I’ll get it.” Shuichi smiles.

“Ah...alright. Are you...sure about this?”

He nods silently.

“Hopefully I find another place to crash, or a way to make money soon…” I say guiltily.

“Oh, that reminds me.”

“Room arrangements. Kaede and I in one room, and you two in the other, right?” Maki asks.

“What ab-” Kaito pipes up, but is instantly silenced by Maki’s glare.

“Anything *else*?”

“Ah, Maki - my room’s...pretty dirty.”

“*How* dirty?”

“As in there’s a door ripped off the frame dirty.” I grip my left arm.

“What?”

“The bed’s broken too.”

“That…*does* sound a bit undesirable.” Maki places a finger up to the side of her lip.

“I’ll go into Shuichi’s room, then. Kaede, it’s up to you if you wanna join me or stay in your current room.”

Empathy \- “I’ll stay.” 

Maki nods.

Esprit De Corps - AND *KAEDE* WITH THE SAVE!

“Uh...Shuichi - do you mind?” Kaito asks awkwardly.

“Ah...alright.”

“Alright! Maki Roll, I’m in your room!” Kaito gives a thumbs up.

“Whatever…” Maki looks away.

Empathy - She’s trying to act like it’s not a big deal.

“I’ll order dinner. What’ll you guys get?”

5:42 PM

“Well, we don’t have anything left to do for today.” Shuichi says, looking up from his notebook.

“Let’s meet here tomorrow at 7:20.”

Everyone nods.

“Just don’t sleep too late.” Maki sighs.

“That means *you*, Shuichi.” 

“Ah...I’ll keep it in mind…” Shuichi scratches the side of his head.

“It’s 2000 yen per night, by the way.” Shuichi adds.

Maki nods.

“Kaito, you got a thousand?”

5:34 PM

I suddenly stand up from the bench, while Kaito, Maki and Shuichi continue their small talk.

I gravitate to the piano, where I sit down on the piano bench. 

Interfacing - Considering last time, I don’t think you actually need my help…

Logic - We should keep your instructions for important situations.

[With a deep breath, I start.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVau-JRGirg)

THOUGHT COMPLETE

Date of Birth Generator

_You were born in 2001. This was eighteen years ago. The same as almost all your classmates - which should’ve been obvious. The bloating in your face, the traces of alcohol, the wackiness of your life and the voices in your head - they may never leave, but you still have so much more years to go. More life to live. You *still* have your hope. Your optimism._

+1 Shivers  
+1 Volition  
+1 Empathy  
-1 Electrochemistry

Electrochemistry - Hey! You’re no fun. You just keep on reducing *me*! The fun guy!

Volition - Damn it, just shut up.

Empathy - You two need to calm down.

5:40 PM

The last note is played, and I breathe out calmly.

Perception (Hearing) - Once again, light clapping in the audience.

Perception (Sight) - Byakuya’s looking away, accepting payment from Shuichi and Maki.

Empathy - He’s pretty impressed, actually.

“Wow, Kaede! You’re gonna have to teach me how to play like that one day!” Kaito smiles.

“If you can keep up.” I giggle a little bit.

Shuichi smiles.

“Seriously though, that was beautiful.”

“I know, right?! Raindrop Prelude’s one of my favourites!”

“The digital locks are unlocked. You can head into your rooms now.” Byakuya crosses his arms.

“Ah, thank you!”

5:46 PM

“Kaede, you need the key.” Shuichi’s voice rings.

“Ah, huh? Oh. Yeah.” I grab the key to my room from my backpack, pushing it into the lock and entering the room.

“It’s pretty dirty in here…” I laugh nervously.

Empathy - Shuichi tries not to look at the pile of tape viscera on the carpet. Or the potted plant dying in the corner. Or the broken down bathroom door. But - it’s just all too morbid to ignore.

Savoir Faire - The man is finding it hard not to trip on the tape. You’re lucky that you threw out the bottles yesterday night.

“I’m sorry that you had to come in here. You can have the bed later.” I say, putting my backpack down.

Shuichi smiles nervously.

“Ah, it’s...alright. This is your room, you should have the bed.”

Suggestion (Success) \- “Or we could share...if you want.” 

Drama - This is the correct answer, Madame!

“Ah...if it’s...okay with you.”

Drama \- “It’s fine!” You smile. 

Empathy - “I wouldn’t feel comfortable if you were sleeping on the ground…”

Kinship - Him either.

Eek! Don’t do that! 

Kinship - What?

Volition - Don’t just...come in like that!

Kinship - Ah, my bad. I really have no other option though. Well, bye.

Volition - Hey, wait!

Rhetoric - ...Left as soon as he showed up, huh? 

“Well, we still have a bit of time left before we actually have to sleep…” Shuichi mutters.

“Let’s discuss the case for a bit, Kaede.”

I nod, sitting down on the dirty ground, while he sits down on the somewhat broken bed.

“Sure.”

“Who are our suspects right now, Shuichi?”

“We don’t have much. We have Junko upstairs, Mukuro and DICE.”

Logic \- “I think we can rule out DICE, right?” 

“Ah, yes. They only hung the body, and it’s likely they didn't kill Natsumi either.” Shuichi nods.

Logic \- Junko doesn’t make any logical sense either. 

Volition - Remember. Don’t listen to him about Junko.

“What about Junko? It might be possible that *she* did it.”

“It’s plausible, but probably wrong in my opinion. She doesn’t really have a motive, or a method to get a gun like a Belle Magrave…”

Volition - Somewhat moderate, huh? Sounds compromised.

Drama - Maybe. But it’s up to her.

“So that just leaves…”

“The Ultimate Soldier - Mukuro Ikusaba.” Shuichi nods.

“This doesn’t mean that she did it, though.” He explains.

“It’s just that we don’t have any other options right now.”

“Makes sense…”

“So we’re going to look for Mukuro tomorrow?” I ask.

“That’s our plan for now. We should look along the coast.”

I look at my Monopad, tapping on the Map icon and looking around the area past the waterlock.

Logic \- “What about this - we ask the villagers in the fishermen shacks first if they’ve seen a boyish girl around, then head to the boardwalk to see if we can find any traces of her. If there’s nothing, we’ll head to Land’s End to see if there’s anything there.” 

Shuichi nods.

“Sounds good to me.”

“Alright! That’s our plan for tomorrow.”

Volition \- “Shuichi...how sure are we that Mukuro’s the killer?” 

Shuichi pulls on his cap.

“Ah, we’re...not sure, yet. We have to find out more from Mukuro herself.”

“Seems about right…”

“Why do you ask?”

“I...don’t know. I just get this feeling that she’s not the killer.”

“Well, we’ll get some answers from her tomorrow.”

“Alright! Let’s do this, Shuichi!”

6:03 PM

“...Shuichi.”

“Hm? What is it?” He looks up from his novel, that he got from his room.

“I’m bored.” I pout.

“...” He grips on his cap.

“Give me a second, Kaede.”

“Wait, you’re actually…”

He walks out of the room.

Perception (Hearing) - He knocks on the door to *his* room.

About two minutes later, he comes back with a box in hand.

Perception (Sight) - A chess set.

Logic - HELL YES.

Shuichi sets the box on the ground.

“Sorry, I don’t really have anything else to work with.”

“This is good enough, I think! Though I'm not very smart...” I smile.

7:27 PM

“I’m one to nine...” I say, slightly downtrodden.

Shuichi smiles nervously.

“Y-You’ll do better next time…”

Logic - We’re too dumb…

Kinship - I was here to help you too…

Empathy - Shouldn’t you be rooting for *him*?

Kinship - Yeah, but he wanted you to win at least half the games...

Volition - It’s fine. We have our good and bad days.

“I think I need to sleep on it…” I say, slightly depressed.

Shuichi stands up, pulling on the light switch on the ceiling fan.

“Maki did tell me to sleep early…”

He lies down on the inner side of the bed, facing the wall and trying to avoid the wooden frame.

Perception (Sight) - He kept his cap on. But - you can see a faint red on his face.

I lie down on the other side, facing the door.

7:30 PM

THOUGHT COMPLETE

I’m Sorry

_Remember when we were talking about why you were such a sorry cop? Well, here they are. The *hard* facts about why you’re the *sorry* of a person you are. _

_Remember when you tried to get everyone together, and *forced* them to participate in an activity they knew they would fail? Remember when you tried to force your ideals on everyone? Remember when you slapped Kokichi across the face just because he disagreed with you?_

_Sure, you have the willpower. But you *never*, ever doubt what you think is right. You're always correct. You *force* others to participate. You force others to follow your optimistic way of thinking. And what did that bring you? Misfortune and a murder case that you're involved in. _

_*You* got someone killed. And you couldn’t even confront yourself about it. You know what you did? You drowned yourself in a neurotoxin. You forced yourself to *forget*. _

_And the *worst* part? You let life defeat you. All your friends’ compassion and comfort. All your parents’ gifts and care. All of your sister’s help and love. You wasted *all of it*. You were a disappointment. You let misery win. And it will continue winning._

Empathy - Until you die.

Volition - Until you’ve overcome it.

+1 Inland Empire  
+1 Pain Threshold  
-1 Volition  
-1 Empathy  
-1 Authority

“Hey, Shuichi? You still awake?” I whisper.

“Huh? Yeah...what is it?”

“I’m sorry.” A tear drops.

“What for?” He asks, slightly confused.

“For everything.”

I close my eyes, and try to fall asleep.

…

Here we are again, Kaede Akamatsu.

Even through sleep, the discomfort slips in. You wish you could curl up into a ball. But you can’t. All because of the pain.

Empathy - Every cell in your body is moaning in *agony*. “What did we do to deserve this pain?!”

I’m...sorry.

Empathy - Now you’re finally thinking about something *other* than yourself. Thank you.

I...I…

Please...let me back out to the other place...

No nourishment for you tonight, my friend. You have to do *something* to stop this.

Electrochemistry - Maybe if you...you know, just like...TOOK A LOAD OF HARDCORE DRUGS BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP!

Empathy - Maybe if you weren’t so hard on yourself…

Logic - Maybe if this case wasn’t so hard…

Oh, it’s already that time. Time to rise and wipe that shining sweat off. Get your bearings. Rock - and roll.

11:07 PM

Perception - Stable breathing. Rapid eye movement. And considering the fact she still hasn't noticed Shuichi, she’s still asleep.

Logic - Thank you.

Logic (Success) - If no one’s going to bring it up, I will. For god’s sake, I can’t be the only one who’s noticed this.

Encyclopedia - Noticed what?

Logic - Hey, Word Vomit. You must’ve felt it. The...wrongs, in the world.

Rhetoric - ...Elaborate, please.

Logic - Seriously?! Come on, guys.

Volition - You’re literally the only one here who can piece things together. Of course only *you* noticed it.

Logic - Alright, fine. I didn't mention it on the first day since I thought you guys noticed it and were keeping quiet about it - but clearly, that isn’t the case.

Suggestion - Please, pray tell, what has the old man noticed?

Logic - I’m just going to ignore that. Seriously? Nothing? Not the fact that we *completely* forgot to eat food yesterday, but didn't notice hunger or anything? 

Endurance - Uh…

Logic - What about how the ‘Ultimate Despair’ was thought to be destroyed, and their continued existence hidden from public, while the Remnants are widely known to still exist?

Rhetoric - Now that you mention it…

Logic - Hey! *You’re* the one supposed to be pointing out these contradictions in the first place! All I can do is piece things together.

Rhetoric - …Or what about when she said she was making the song up as she went, until Shuichi mentioned the Long and Short festival, which she agreed to.

Logic - Exactly! What’s going on here? We need to find out!

Volition - But...how?

Logic - I have an idea or two.


	33. The Third Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I walk up to the water lock panel, grab the handle and pull the lever up.

As I open my eyes, all I see is black, and a bit of white.

Huh?

Perception (Sight) - There are light streaks on the black.

Composure - Damn, I can’t keep it together when she’s asleep.

Volition - It’s fine. After all, this is just further proof that people still care about her.

Huh?

I rub my eyes, trying to sit up.

Perception - Something slips off the back of your head and your waist.

Perception (Sight) - Looking down, you see Shuichi with his eyes closed, breathing ever so slightly.

“...So...that’s what…” I smile grimly, placing both his hands gently on his side.

“You’re way too nice to people like me…”

I turn around, standing up.

What time is it?

I grab my backpack from the ground, turning the Monopad on.

6:42 AM

Maybe someone’s up already…

I look through the side pockets, grabbing the rusted key and unlocking the door.

Reaction Speed - Don’t forget to leave the key here for Shuichi to leave.

You’re right…

I walk back to Shuichi, placing the key in his breast pocket.

I open the door, and walk out, down the stairs past Maki’s and Kaito’s room.

Walking down the stairs, I notice that the Whirling is noticeably empty, with only Byakuya at the desk.

“Good morning.” He greets, looking away.

Empathy - Some of the animosity has disappeared. He’s gained a very slight shred of respect for you.

“Ah, morning.” I smile.

I push open the doors, heading outside the Whirling-In-Rags.

Perception (Sight) - The sun’s still slightly down.

Esprit De Corps - Head for the backyard.

Any particular reason why?

Esprit De Corps - He’s there.

I give a loud sigh, before walking back to where we found Natsumi’s body.

Walking in through the broken fence, I see Kaito, lying down on the ground with his hands behind his head. 

“Hey there, Kaito!”

He grins.

“You’re up too, huh? I’m not surprised.”

He continues looking up at the sky.

I sit down next to him.

“What are you looking at?”

He chuckles.

“I’m not looking at anything! I’m just taking a break.”

“A break?”

“Yeah! I gotta stay in shape, you know? So I usually stay up or get up early to do some training.” He gives a thumbs up.

“Being an astronaut is hard work, huh?”

He nods.

“Well, it’s not like I *am* one yet…” He looks away.

Perception (Smell) - "Wait, doesn't the smell bother you?"

"Nah. As hard as it is to say it, being in that car got me used to it." He points to Shuichi's Chevrolet. 

“Oh, wait! I have something to ask you about…” I pull out my Monopad.

“Sure! What is it?”

“Why do all of Shuichi’s cases end up with *you* solving them?” I ask awkwardly.

“Oh, that?” He messes with his gelled hair.

“...Shuichi’s always had a problem with revealing the truth.” His face suddenly turns serious.

“What do you mean?”

“He could solve the cases, but he couldn’t bring himself to point the culprits out.”

Logic - See? That’s why Shuichi couldn’t accuse Junko. Nothing to do with her. It’s the *detective's* fault.

Volition - I hate you.

Esprit De Corps - *We* hate you.

Kinship - Space for one more? 

“Huh?”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed it. Him moping around so much.” He sighs.

“I mean, yeah. He told me about his first case…”

Kaito nods.

“Geez. He worries about the most trivial of stuff.”

Authority - “You have absolutely *no* right to say that.” You frown.

“...You might be right. But because of that *single* case, he believes that he’s not a real detective.”

“Not a real detective?”

“I *happened* to solve that single case. I got lucky. It was by chance.” 

“...”

“I’m sure you’ve heard him say stuff like that, right?”

He smiles. “I didn't know what to say. When I heard that you two were being partnered up, I got really excited.” 

“You’ve always had your way with words and motivation. And clearly, it’s working a bit!”

“You think?”

“Yeah! He’s gotten more confident, definitely. No question about it!”

I giggle a little bit.

“Well, I’m gonna head into the Whirling for a bit. Wanna follow?” He asks.

“Sure!”

Perception - It’s...about to start raining. Again.

THOUGHT COMPLETE

The Bow Collector

_It’s early in the morning. In dark blue, a woman stands. The sparks light her face ever so slightly. Then, the street goes longer. You stand there, and wave back. Something that’s *always* been there. The ghost - the one of Hope’s Peak. The holy messenger._

+3 Shivers

7:13 AM

Kaito and I sit down on one of the benches in the Whirling-In-Rags, with food that we ordered from Byakuya.

“Shuichi and Maki should be down soon!” Kaito says loudly.

“Softer, Kaito. Other people are here now.” I slice into one of the grilled shizamo.

“Hey, Shuichi! Over here!” Kaito looks towards the staircase.

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi’s walking down the stairs, looking at a small notebook. He quickly puts it away when he notices you and Kaito.

Perception (Sight) - The streaks on his shirt are still present. He's had no time to change or wash his clothes.

“Morning.” He greets.

“Morning!” I smile.

“We got some pancakes for you, if that’s okay.” Kaito points to a plate on my side of the table.

He nods silently, sitting down.

7:15 AM

Soon after, Maki shows up, walking down quietly.

“Hey, Maki Roll!” Kaito calls.

Maki looks up for a moment, and starts slowly walking to our table.

“You got me spring rolls?”

“We didn't really know what you would like…” Kaito scratches the side of his head.

She sighs. “Can’t be helped, I guess.”

7:23 AM

“So, first thing on the list. Investigate the coast.” Shuichi looks at his Monopad.

"Yup." I nod, standing up.

“Let’s get going.”

We push open the door.

Shivers (Success) - All around you. Slow rain falls on the city of Revachol. Fall is ending in two to three weeks. Winter is coming.

What...am I doing?

Shivers - Looking up at the sky, where the rain falls and drips from your hair.

What do I see?

Shivers - Cloudy and grey sky.

Perception - How does it feel?

Shivers - Humid and cold. Your pink sweater shields you, while the city shivers.

Visual Calculus - What’s in the west?

Shivers - Sheets of rain over the water. A flight of stairs leading into the ocean. Wave after wave, crashing on the coast of Martinaise, with its motorboats and reeds.

Shivers - The ruins of a half-sunken seafort crumbles on an inlet. Beyond the bay, ghosts rise.

I run my fingers through my hair.

Shivers - Curved. Flecked with a slight bit of ash from neighbouring coal plants. Smoke rises somewhere from the distance.

Perception - The east?

Shivers - The great gates of the industrial harbour are locked. A chill runs down your spine. You shudder. An animal, trying to shake water from its hide.

Physical Instrument - You clench your teeth to stop the shuddering.

Shivers - Behind the gates, heaps of supply crates. Red and blue metal shipping containers. Completely slick with rain. DICE is an artificial mountain range. Immense wealth resides within. But, immeasurable poverty in the shadow.

Inland Empire - North.

Shivers - Capeside apartments. Tower blocks crowd one another. 4.46 mm bullets still lodged in the stone walls.

Shivers - Hallways collapse from the mortar hits of a war. Lost long ago. Clothesline go to waste in the rain. Radios play.

Rhetoric - The morning news.

North to *us*?

Shivers - A yard. Rain falls over the roof of a woodshed. The odour of decomposition remains, mixing with the damp soil.

Then what about the south?

Shivers - A traffic jam. Rain thrumming on the roofs of motor vehicles. Inside, drivers watch water streaming down the windshields of their vehicles. The statue of King Filippe shudders. The canal bridge raised.

The other side of that?

Shivers - The road ascends. A raised motorway, which loops above the ghetto. Beneath it-

Visual Calculus - But that doesn’t make sense.

Shivers - YOU’RE RIGHT. BUT I DO THIS *MY* WAY.

Shivers - Beneath the concrete columns, a sea of rooftops, woodwork and tar. Four-story buildings as far as the rain can fall. The snow melts in Jamrock.

Jamrock…

Shivers - The capital of Revachol. Revachol on the other hand, is the capital of the world.

I shudder a slight bit.

Shivers - In the rain-swept distance above the rooftops of Jamrock. Precinct 41 hunches in the rain.

Shivers - Your vision blurs. You wipe your face with your hand. The rain stings your eyes. You look up and blink.

What’s above?

Shivers - The Future Foundation.

Shivers - Your sight clears.

This would’ve been a lot more useful on the first day.

“This rain won’t let up any time soon.” Maki comments.

“Kaede and I are somewhat moderately dressed for rain. We could get going first.” Shuichi suggests.

“We’ll stay here. You guys can go on ahead!” Kaito replies.

“Alright, Shuichi!”

As Shuichi and I are walking towards the water lock...

"Hey, Shuichi."

"Hm?"

"Thanks for yesterday night. I saw the streaks." I grip my right arm.

"O-oh. It's fine." He scratches the side of his head.

Perception (Hearing) - “So, who wants to flick the switch?”

Perception (Sight) - Three workers in orange are sat down, near the water lock switch.

Logic - They’re probably the people tasked with fixing the water lock.

Perception (Hearing) - “Hey! Let the police flick it!” One of them suggests.

Logic - They’ve seen you two, as you walk down the stairs.

“Good morning.” I greet.

“Morning, officer.” One of them answers.

“We just got done fixing it this morning.”

"You can close the water lock now."

“Thank you!” I smile.

They nod.

I walk up to the water lock panel, grab the handle and pull the lever up.

Perception (Hearing) - You hear a loud clunk, the contact pins, and the water lock starts moving.

“Careful, Kaede. We should expect rugged terrain.”

I nod.

We walk across the rusted water lock.

Perception (Hearing) - The radio relay in front of you hums with electricity.

Perception (Sight) - Straight forward, tall fences that are slightly taller than you and Shuichi. There’s a gate on your left.

We continue following the path leading right, walking downwards on a muddy slope.

Perception (Sight) - On the ground, there’s tire tracks that move further downwards.

Shuichi and I follow the trail.

Perception (Sight) - On your left, a rusty playground with two swings.

We reach some ice, and spot not a motor carriage, but a car that’s sunk in the water.

Perception (Sight) - Half-submerged in the Insulidian ocean. You can barely see the top of the vehicle, the windshield and the windows.

Empathy - It must be cold and lonely down there, in the icy water.

Interfacing - The seawater has started to corrode the metalworks.

Visual Calculus - Remember the tire tracks earlier, in the fence? This is where they were leading.

“This is where the tracks on the plaza were leading to.” I comment.

“Ah, you’re right.” He inspects the wreckage.

“Do we investigate?”

“I think we should.” He places a hand over his mouth.

Inland Empire - You get a sudden sinking feeling. Stomach acid comes up, as you look at the car.

Volition - Why the doom and gloom? It’s just a sunken car. Some cars are bound to end up in the sea.

I run my hand over the metal.

Interfacing - It’s *properly* stuck in the ice. Getting it out requires specialists. A single day in the salty seawater would ruin most vehicles anyways.

What is the make of this car? Or can I see a logo anywhere?

Interfacing - A Chevrolet.

Perception (Sight) - No logos, as far as you can see. Just a sleek blue.

“How long has it been here, you think?” I ask.

Shuichi leans forward a slight bit.

“It’s been here since last Saturday or Sunday, I think.”

Visual Calculus - The estimate is correct. It probably occurred on Sunday evening.

“What do we do?”

“Let’s wait for the low tide, Kaede. We can see what’s inside then.”

“How long will it take?”

“An hour or two, I think…” He places a finger under his chin.

“Well, we have a bit of time. Might as well, right?”

I run over to the playground, sitting on one of the swings and putting my backpack on the ground.

“Hey, Shuichi! You should sit on the other one!”

7:34 AM

Perception (Hearing) - As you sit down in the old, rusty playground, the world around you becomes very silent.

Perception (Hearing) - The hinges creak under your weight. Dangerously.

I hold onto the ropes, slightly moving the swing back and forth.

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi looks at his Monopad, crossing his legs.

Perception (Hearing) - Nothing but the sound of seagulls, high in the sky. 

Inland Empire - Distant laughter.

“...It looks very blue.” Shuichi comments.

“Where did that come from?” I ask, smiling.

Shuichi goes silent.

Conceptualization - I’m bored.

I sigh.

Drama (Success) - The tune on your lips form a strange, yet undeniably beautiful contrast with the surrounding bleakness, as you whistle a tune.

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi gives you a quick glance. He looks straight ahead, tapping his foot.

Conceptualization - A beat to work with. This is perfect.

Conceptualization - Two birds on a wire. Looking at the water, and a sunken car.

Shivers - The wind blows. In the distance, behind the church, some vagrants are having an argument. Further away, a flock of seagulls land.

8:02 AM

Perception (Sight) - The clouds pass in the sky, and the shadow of the swing moves like the hour hand on a timepiece. 30 minutes have passed.

Rhetoric - Looks like this might take awhile. You should present a good topic for discussion.

“Hey, Shuichi.”

“What is it?”

“Can we play a piano duet together? After all this is over?”

“A duet?”

“Yeah, that!” I hover my hand over my tie.

“Two people can play on the same piano, cause they have eighty-eight keys!”

“U-Uh, I...don’t know if I could…”

“What’s wrong?”

“I-it would be such an honour playing with you, so I don’t think I c-”

Rhetoric - You cut Shuichi off, and keep insisting that he does a duet with you.

Shivers - The city rumbles. 30 more minutes pass.

8:32 AM

I look through my backpack, taking out my stuff.

I pull out the prybar, flashlight, and the chaincutters, but there’s still so much weird stuff in there!

Perception (Sight) - First, the most obvious - the antique Belle-Magrave rifle.

Perception (Sight) - Then, an empty cassette case, then a shotput ball.

“Why did I carry this with me?”

Shuichi smiles awkwardly.

9:04 AM

“Hey, Shuichi. Why did you become the Ultimate Detective?” I ask curiously, still gripping onto the ropes of the swing.

“Why?” He repeats, sweating a little.

“Yeah! Why did you start doing detective stuff?”

He gives a sigh of relief.

“That’s what you meant. I just...started working under my uncle, cause he took care of me.”

“He took care of you?”

“Yeah. I’m living with him, actually.”

Empathy - “Ah, I, uh, didn't mean to pry…”

“Oh, no. It’s not like my parents are dead or anything. They’re usually overseas.”

“Oh! What are they doing overseas?”

“My dad’s an actor, and my mom’s a screenwriter.”

“Wow! That’s pretty cool.”

“Well, they're just people who have a hands-off approach to parenting. Nothing special." 

Empathy - His smile is bitter.

9:23 AM

“The rain’s let up.” Shuichi looks up.

“Maki and Kaito will be here soon.”

9:32 AM

I squint.

Interfacing - “That’s a Malibu, isn’t it?”

Shuichi nods slowly.

Esprit De Corps - R-really? Kaede...

Inland Empire - A massive pit opens up in your stomach, and the most tragic, most terrible feeling comes over you.

He knows something, doesn’t he?

Kinship - Yup. Can’t tell you what though.

Any particular reason why?

Rhetoric - He wants you to find out yourself.

“The low tide...it’s here.”

Shuichi looks at the car.

9:34 AM

“It’s done. Let’s see what we can find!” I stand up from the swing, walking on the ice.

Shuichi reaches into his breast pocket, unlocking the car with the remote.

Interfacing - “That...seems highly unsafe and not secure at all.” You comment.

“Well, it worked out here!”

Opening the door, I look through the glovebox.

“A wallet…”

I open it up, looking at the notes.

Perception (Sight) - 4000 yen.

Anything else?

Perception (Sight) - Yup. In the back, there’s a driver's license.

“Wait...this is…”

Perception (Sight) - The top left reads Kaede Akamatsu. Your birth date, address, a picture of you smiling comically.

Visual Calculus - There’s a lack of alcohol swelling.

Inland Empire - Don’t be fooled. The bad times had already begun, even when you looked like this.

Perception (Sight) - There’s an expiry date at the bottom left, along with a date of issue.

“Mine…”

Volition - No! Just nope. You too! Say no to this, Kaede.

“Oh god no…”

“K-Kaede…”

“No, there’s…no way.”

Volition - “It’s just a coincidence.”

Shuichi shakes his head.

Kinship - Sorry, but it’s harder if you don’t accept it...

“IT’S MINE?! I DROVE MY CAR INTO THE SEA?!”


	34. The Coast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kaede, Shuichi, Kaito and Maki.” She acknowledges us with a slight bow.
> 
> “What do you four desire from me?”

9:36 AM

Perception (Hearing) - The ice off the coast crackles, shifting.

“They’re not gonna take me back after this, are they?” I try to shift my eyes away.

“U-Uh...you’re still an Ultimate! They’ll see you as more valuable than one of these cars.”

Empathy - And now he’s trying to comfort you. *Sigh*.

Logic - Are you really that worth it? Would they take *you* over what could cost easily over tens of thousands of dollars?

Perception (Sight) - “There're footprints here too…”

Visual Calculus - The walker was either very confused or drunk out of their mind.

Shuichi nods silently.

Perception (Hearing) - “Shuichi! Kaede! Where are you two?” Kaito yells from a distance.

I stand silent - still looking at my wallet.

Empathy - Hey! At least you still have some money, so you’re less of a burden on your friends!

Logic - Two nights in the Whirling. Is that enough?

“What...happened here?” Maki spots us standing next to the crashed vehicle.

Inland Empire - And now - your best friends are going to see the mess you’ve made. How badly can you screw things up?

Volition - We…*people* always make mistakes. It’s...it’s fine. Just be better.

“Let’s just get moving.” Shuichi signals.

Empathy - Kaito and Maki - reading the mood, decide to move on as well.

Shuichi continues following the muddy path, which bends left.

Perception (Sight) - Some overturned boats here.

Logic - You’re getting close to the fishing village.

Perception (Sight) - On a slope, behind a fence on your left, is a red house.

It looks...abandoned. There’s no way someone could live in a house like that…

Perception (Sight) - And on your right, is Rantaro with his boat.

He was supposed to leave today, wasn’t he?

Perception (Sight) - Slightly ahead is a flight of wooden stairs.

Walking up them, I notice that there are a ton of handmade shelters, made of sheet metal and wood.

Perception (Hearing) - The planks creak under your weight.

Perception (Sight) - You see two other people so far, who seem to be minding their own business. 

Perception (Sight) - One is a thin, pale woman, with silver-blond hair in a maid uniform, a long black apron dress and a frilly skirt - complete with a headdress. Her left eye is covered by her bangs. She’s sitting down on a chair, washing some clothes.

Encyclopedia - Kirumi Tojo. Ultimate Maid.

Ultimate Maid?

Encyclopedia - Yup. Apparently, someone who can complete any request given to her, due to her incredible intellect and strength.

Perception (Sight) - The other is a tall woman, with dark blue hair. She’s wearing a blazer over a white blouse, with a skirt. She’s also wearing glasses.

Encyclopedia - Hmm...Tsumugi Shirogane? Ultimate Cosplayer?

Cosplayer?! She looks so...plain.

Encyclopedia - Many articles describe her as such.

I guess that makes sense, though...she has that weird...sexy aura, you know?

Perception (Sight) - You sound like a dirty old man.

Inland Empire - Deja Vu!

Logic - But what are these two doing here? Ultimate students, in such a…

Rhetoric - *Pornographically* poor place?

We approach the woman in the maid uniform.

“Kaede, Shuichi, Kaito and Maki.” She acknowledges us with a slight bow.

“What do you four desire from me?”

“Ah, Kirumi, it’s nothing like that!” Kaito smiles.

“We have a few questions, if we could ask them.”

"If that is your request, I shall fulfill it to the best of my ability."

“Kirumi, have you seen a boyish girl with freckles around the coast?” Shuichi asks.

She looks away.

“Unfortunately, no.”

Drama - A lie.

“A-Are you lying to us?” I ask doubtfully.

She sighs.

“Apologies for sighing, but...Kaede, are you quite alright? Do you have any requests for your personal well-being?”

Rhetoric - She’s being evasive. She knows something, but we can’t quite get it out of her yet.

Logic - Mukuro was here. Definitely.

Composure (Failed) - "Actually, I am *not* quite alright, and I do have a request." 

Empathy - Her eyes widen for a moment, not expecting that answer.

Esprit De Corps - *Kaede* having personal problems?

"How may I assist you?" 

"Do you happen to know a way to cure amnesia?" 

She sighs. 

Empathy - Disappointment, but not directed at *you*, it's directed at herself. 

"Unfortunately, I cannot assist you in this matter. I do not have the tools I require to cure your amnesia, currently." 

Wait, there are *tools* to cure amnesia in the first place? 

Encyclopedia - Technically yes. You'd need something to remind you of your past, and that *may* let you recover. That may be what she's referring to, when she says *tools*.

"Well...nevermind, then." I look away. 

Composure - She's pretty composed about this whole thing... 

“What are you doing here, Kirumi?” Maki asks.

“I was sent here by Hope’s Peak to assist Rantaro in his ventures.” She points towards the sloop, where he is still staring at his Monopad.

“We’re about to leave in about three hours.”

Perception (Sight) - Maki looks to the south-west from here.

Shivers - The Pox. Between here and Jamrock, a dusty sea of old trees, all covered in industrial soot. Small houses, an overgrown park...all during the Suzerain.

“Who else lives here?” Shuichi asks curiously.

“There isn’t really anyone else. All I can remember is…the Idiot Doom Spiral? I think that’s what he called himself, along with two of his friends.”

Conceptualization - *Idiot Doom Spiral*. Intriguing.

“I’m sorry, who?” I ask, slightly confused.

“The drunks. You’ll see them sooner or later.”

Inland Empire - Ask her if someone could...stay around, here.

What for?

Inland Empire - There’s something in there.

“Kirumi, where could someone...stay, around here?”

She looks through the frills of her dress, revealing a small key.

“This was for Rantaro. He doesn’t even use the room, so I can give it to you for free.”

“Ah...really?” I ask awkwardly.

She nods.

“The building’s right up there.” She points a slight bit behind her, where a larger wooden structure stays.

“Thank you…”

“It is my desire to serve you.”

I take the key gently, walking up the small flight of stairs up to the building.

Perception (Sight) - The paint has worn off most of the place here. You see traces of white, blue, yellow and green on the wooden planks everywhere in the village.

Perception (Sight) - Though this one has a ton of graffiti on it.

I walk up to the door of the run-down building.

Perception (Sight) - The door has seen better days. Layers of paint have peeled off due to the salty sea. The lock is slightly rusted as well.

I unlock the door, and push it open.

9:46 AM

Shuichi enters with me, but Kaito and Maki stay outside of the large shack.

Looking out a window, I see a church outside, along with the sea.

Perception (Sight) - Something’s...off, in this room.

Perception (Hearing) - The floor creaks.

Shivers - A brisk coastal wind howls against the window of the shack. Waves crawl under the foundation. A low hum.

Shivers - The room feels muffled. It’s like...you’ve pulled a hat over your ears. Outside, it’s cold and windy. Inside, it’s safe and warm.

Shivers - WHAT IS THIS PLACE TO YOU?

A possible hideout for Mukuro?

Shivers - Waves crash unto the beach. South, a congregation gathers in a shelter for the homeless. A woman in red hair takes a picture, smiling.

Shivers - South-east, a man and a woman sit in chairs, preparing their next move. Weapons under the bed. The woman inspects a sword, while the man simply daydreams.

Shivers - A woman stands in a run-down shack, on the edge of a fishing village. A detective smiles at her curiously, wondering about her next move. No sight of the fugitive.

...That was surprisingly useful. Thanks...whatever you are.

Shivers - The howl of the wind has picked up. The waves crash. You think the next thought, but in someone else’s voice…

Shivers - LOOK UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS

The...floorboards?

Looking down, I notice that the right corner of the room is slightly loose.

Perception (Sight) - It isn’t quite level with the others, obviously. Even without that sensation, we’d have spotted it instantly.

Visual Calculus - The edge of the floorboard next to it looks scratched.

“Anything catches your eye, Kaede?”

“The floorboard here...”

I bend down, moving the board aside.

Perception (Sight) - The hollow space underneath the floorboards is dark and damp. You can barely make out the mixture of sand and sawdust below.

What’s in *here*?

Perception (Sight) - Nothing in particular catches your eye. There might be something hidden *inside* the sand, though.

Inland Empire - Something bad. A last resort. 

Perception - You stick your hand into the hole, and start searching through the sand.

Something…

Perception - Wrapped in paper…

I pull it out, revealing…

“A bullet?” I remark, slightly shocked.

Inland Empire - The floorboard doesn’t care. But Kirumi does.

“...” Shuichi places a finger under his chin.

Empathy - He’s not a stranger to…*this*.

Hand/Eye Coordination - It’s extra ammunition. She’s locked and loaded, ready to kill.

Empathy - That’s not quite right.

Bullet (9mm) has been added to the Truth Bullet section of your Monopad.

“We need to talk to Kirumi about this, right now.”

Shuichi nods.

9:50 AM

“What can I help you with?” Kirumi bows lightly.

I hold the bullet up.

Perception (Hearing) - “Wait, what?” Kaito’s voice murmurs.

“A bullet…” Maki sighs.

“There was a bullet under the floorboards…” Shuichi explains.

“You didn't put this there, did you?” I ask.

“*She* did.”

I point at her accusingly.

“Why are you lying about Mukuro not being here?”

Composure - Her eyes are not filled with much emotion, except for surprise. She’s been taught how not to buckle under pressure.

“Mukuro...” She mutters to herself.

Empathy - There’s more worry in her voice, than frustration.

“...What do you want to know?” She asks.

Empathy - It hurts her to do this. She doesn’t want to betray a request, but…

“You rented the room to Mukuro, right?” Shuichi inquires.

Kirumi nods, frowning a bit.

“Last Friday. She left Monday morning, at around...8 AM.”

“What was Mukuro like?” I ask, trying to comfort her a bit.

“Quiet and polite. She kept to herself a lot, but talked to me every now and then. She would leave after a while though, to help her sister out.”

“Is the room exactly as she left it?” Maki narrows her eyes.

“I cleaned it, but there wasn’t anything else in there.”

Drama - Truth.

Reaction Speed - “Ah, wait! Did she have any technical stuff with her? Like...radio equipment?”

“Not that I know of.”

Hmm….

Inland Empire - We could...tell her about our...hunch of that bullet.

Empathy - No. It’d be too much for her.

“Where did she go? After she left on Monday.”

“I don’t know. She specifically requested that I don’t follow her, so I didn't. All I know is she headed up north.”

Visual Calculus - Towards the peninsula, where she’s trapped.

“We’ll head up later, then.” Maki states.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay here?” Kirumi pleads.

Endurance - No. You can do it. You still have plenty of *juice* in you before you drop.

Perception (Sight) - Behind the cinder block houses...the wind calls.

“Thank you, Kirumi. We’ll be off.” Shuichi smiles.

She nods.

“Goodbye. Return safe.”

9:57 AM

“Shouldn’t we talk to those two first?” Kaito asks.

“I mean, we can. We still have a bit of time.” Maki looks at her Monopad.

“We’ll see if they know anything.” Shuichi nods.

“Sure!”

We approach the blue-haired girl, as she looks like she’s thinking about something.

“Earth to Tsumugi?” Kaito asks.

Perception (Sight) - She hasn’t noticed you guys yet.

“Ah, it’s you guys! Main Character crew! What are you guys doing here, with plain old me?”

Empathy - She doesn't actually consider herself *that* plain. She just means that she's like the rest of you.

“We’re looking for someone, so we wondering if you could help.”

Logic - Though considering the fact that she didn't see you earlier…

Inland Empire - She isn’t going to be much help.

She tilts her head slightly.

“Who are you looking for?”

“A Mukuro Ikusaba. She stayed here between Friday and Monday.”

“Ah, sorry. I’ve only arrived here yesterday…”

“Oh, that’s alright then.” Shuichi nods.

"Wait, actually, have you seen people on an expedition? Studying insects?" 

She places a finger up to her chin, deep in thought. 

"Oh! You mean Gonta? Yeah. He's further down from here. You'll see him near the boardwalk."

So those are Monaca's friends... 

“Well, that’s it, really. It was nice seeing you, Tsumugi.” Shuichi smiles.

“It was nice to see you guys too!”

We then walk down some stairs, which leads to a small wooden dock, with Rantaro staring at his Monopad.

Encyclopedia - Actually, it’s a *jetty*.

Perception (Hearing) - The wood creaks to the tune of water dripping.

“Hey there, you guys.” He turns to us, smiling.

“I’m leaving in about two hours, so yeah. It’s good to see you, though.”

“Why did you come here, Rantaro? Instead of staying at the waterfront?” Shuichi asks.

“Had to pick up Kirumi. Journey here was…a lot quicker than I expected.” He scratches the back of his head.

Shivers - Above you, the clouds twist into each other. The wind tugs.

Shivers - The shadows of the clouds slide over Revachol West.

Esprit De Corps - It’s late fall. A purple-haired detective walks into the 57th Precinct, past the river.

Esprit De Corps - A brown-haired woman greets her, directing her to the H-Wing.

Esprit De Corps - The detective walks through the corridors, coming upon a door. She pushes it open.

Esprit De Corps - “Kim Kitsuragi.” She crosses her arms.

Esprit De Corps - The bespectacled man in an orange jacket nods quietly.

“Did I tell you how they discovered this place?”

“You mean - this *isola*?”

He nods.

“The Insulinde.”

“No, why?”

“Remind me to tell you next time.” He grips a dog tag.

“I don’t think I can really assist you right now, but if you have any questions, go ahead and ask.”

“How much longer do we have?” I ask, sweating a little.

“If I had to take a guess, it would be…” He counts in his head.

“Three days, at most.”

“Is that enough time?” I turn around to face Shuichi.

“I’m not sure. It might be possible…”

“It’ll be fine, Shuichi!” Kaito pats his back.

Shuichi smiles.

“Well, that’s all we really had, to be honest.” I smile.

“Bye, Rantaro!”

He waves back.

“Good luck. See you guys back at Hope’s Peak.”

10:13 AM

We walk past some other run-down buildings, and finally find stairs that lead downwards and north, towards the coast.

“Do you guys want to split up?” I ask.

“I don’t know, do you want to risk facing the Ultimate Soldier alone and without me around?” Maki smiles.

“Uh...you make a good point!”

“Alright, so first is…” I look at my Monopad.

“Let’s go check the Boardwalk and Land’s End first. See if it’s possible that a sniper set up camp there.” Shuichi suggests.

“Yeah! Good idea.”

We walk over a muddy river, which has barrels in it.

Perception (Sight) - 'MAZUT'.

Logic - The water runs from the west, a factory. A broken pipe, perhaps?

We cross a few planks, reaching the other side of the river.

Perception (Sight) - In front of you, in bushes...the rear tire of a motor carriage.

Volition - Calm down. You didn't crash *every* car in Revachol. (Hopefully.)

We continue on the path, until we reach a concrete base with stairs leading up.

“This leads to the boardwalk, doesn’t it?” Kaito asks.

Shuichi nods.

Perception (Sight) - There are some payphones here.

We walk up the wooden stairs.

Perception (Hearing) - A buzz. Hum. Electricity flows through, with audible power.

We walk past a gate in between metal fences, and find an abandoned fish market.

“No one’s been here in ages…” Shuichi inspects the boxes.

Maki looks at the coin operated machine. "A decade, I'd say."

“Vagrants have been here recently too.” Kaito points at tarp, which provides shelter.

Logic - The tarp will not keep out rain, snow, or wind.

We walk further down the boardwalk, nearing the end.

Inland Empire - This isn’t good. Not for you either, Crownhead.

Volition - What could possibly be so bad down *here*?

Perception (Smell) - The smell...it’s awful. Awful...and…

Inland Empire - *Familiar*.

I cover my nose instinctively.

Perception (Smell) - It doesn’t help. You can still smell it.

“What *is* that smell?” I ask.

“Maybe...it’s rotten fish?” Shuichi suggests.

“Don’t be naive.” Maki looks away.

“Oh no…”

Perception (Smell) - Don’t you recognize it? That hideous pungent smell. Faint sweetness. And a slight bit of perfume to make it worse.

Perception (Smell) - Only *death* smells like that.

Half Light - Something cold wakes in the pit of your stomach: fear.

Visual Calculus - Careful. The floorboards here are loose and weak.

Perception (Sight) - In fact, ma’am, a few of the boards are already off.

Walking further down the boardwalk, leaning on a bench…

Perception (Sight) - Is the dead body.

Encyclopedia - Of…

Volition - Oh. That's what.

Perception (Sight) - Pale skin. Dark hair. Makeup. Tall. Thin...

Shuichi takes a deep breath.

“Sayaka Maizono. The Ultimate Idol.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, the next chapter is gonna be strange to write, that's for sure.


	35. Sayaka Maizono

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But...who’d be experienced in *this*?” Kaito asks, slightly nervous.
> 
> “Serial killers, assassins like me, someone who works in a medical business…a lot of people.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never mind. Turned out to be quite a bit more boring than I expected!
> 
> Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter either way.

10:20 AM

My legs start shaking a little.

Authority - Another dead body. This is *your* job. Steel yourself.

Volition - We’ll avenge her.

Composure (Success) - Calm down. Careful. This is just another day on the job. Hum Clair De Lune, or something. Don’t. Break. Down.

Perception - The wind is strong here. Be careful.

[Shuichi crouches down next to the body, holding on to his nose.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkShV_sPYZA)

Perception (Smell) - The smell is...not *quite* as bad as the other one.

Logic - Yes, because the other is *two weeks old*, nose.

“She’s been dead for about six days...” Maki looks the body up and down.

Visual Calculus - Correct. Rigor Mortis has kicked in awhile ago.

She kneels on the opposite side of the body from Shuichi. She turns the body a slight bit.

Perception (Sight) - She’s wearing fairly normal clothing. A long-sleeved shirt that is slightly pink, a skirt and stockings. She also has…

Reaction Speed - The pink ribbon! That’s confirmation!

Logic - As if we needed *any more*.

Perception (Sight) - Next to her body, there’s a small piece of paper, slightly covered in the blood.

I pick it up.

‘Sayaka Maizono - Ultimate Idol’

‘Apartment Room #20’

Satomi...I’m sorry…

Kaito pats my back.

“We’ll have to investigate that place later, don’t we?” He asks calmly.

I nod.

“You should keep it with you.”

“I know.”

Maki looks at the body for a slight while.

“There…” She points to Sayaka’s abdomen.

Perception (Sight) - Dried blood, and a stab wound.

“Hemorrhaging. She bled out after...five minutes, I think.” Maki looks away for a moment.

Esprit De Corps - When was the last time I saw a body? A month?

“No weapons around here...” Shuichi remarks.

Maki nods.

“The murderer either took the murder weapon with them or disposed of it.”

She looks back at the body.

Visual Calculus - Height. About...1.65m? No...around 1.68m tall.

Visual Calculus - Age is approximately 20 to 22.

Perception (Sight) - The stab wound looks like the only possible cause of death here. An open wound, pink. Sticky and cold.

“Do you guys see any other major wounds?” I ask.

Shuichi shakes his head.

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“So the main cause of death - we can agree on, is exsanguination.” Maki nods.

Encyclopedia - Exsanguination. Blood loss to such a huge degree that it causes death. Used often in slaughtering animals, i-

Volition - Please stop.

Encyclopedia - Okay.

“Exsan- what now?” Kaito asks.

“Who...is she?”

Shuichi looks up.

“Sayaka Maizono. Ultimate Idol of Class 78. Either that, or someone who has an *uncanny* resemblance to her.”

…

Inland Empire - This is an omen, Kaede. Don’t start drinking again.

Huh? What does this have to do with *drinking*?

Electrochemistry - It has *everything to do* with drinking!

Perception (Smell) - There’s a tinge of alcohol, in the smell of death.

“What do you think happened here?” Kaito asks.

“I can smell a bit of alcohol coming from her clothes...”

“She was probably inebriated, and wasn’t able to defend herself properly or run.” Maki looks the body over again.

“Is it possible that she died from alcohol poisoning or something like that *before* she was stabbed?”

Maki shakes her head.

“Symptoms of alcohol poisoning might have played a role, but I’m pretty sure the main cause of death was the stab wound. She had to be alive for a while if she bled this much.” She points to the bloodstain on Sayaka’s clothes. 

Logic - Correct. If the heart stops pumping, she stops bleeding. Therefore, the heart still had to be pumping, and that means she had to still be alive. You may now applaud my genius.

Volition - Could you...not, though?

Logic - “This probably isn’t related to Mukuro though, is it?”

“As far as we can see, nothing tells us that. Let’s treat this case as unrelated.” Shuichi agrees.

“What about the body, then? What do we do with it?” Kaito asks.

“We either take the case, or leave it to the precincts or maybe a Hope’s Peak student to solve.”

“Wait, what about the field autopsy?”

“We only have to do it if we decide to take the case. So we have to make *that* decision first.” Maki takes out her Monopad.

Logic - We should just write down ‘stabbed on a boardwalk’ and leave it at that. We *need* to get back to finding Mukuro.

Isn’t that...kind of sloppy?

“Maki...I knew Sayaka, right?” I ask.

She nods.

“You guys talked quite a lot.”

“I think...I should take the case, then.”

Kaito smiles.

“Alright! Let’s do this!”

“We need to start on the autopsy.” Shuichi nods.

10:32 AM

Shuichi takes out a notebook and a pen.

“Kaede, do you have a pair of gloves with you?” Maki asks.

Interfacing - We still have those gardening ones.

I nod, taking out the yellow latex gloves that DICE gave to me.

“Those will work, regardless of how impractical they are. Could you pass it to me?”

I offer the pair of gloves to her, and she takes them instantly.

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi takes out his gloves as well, carefully putting them on.

“We don’t have a case in for this yet. Shuichi, you take the parameters and situation in that notebook.” She says, while putting the gloves on.

“Ah, sure.”

Maki kneels down.

“Name is Sayaka Maizono.”

Shuichi starts scribbling down what she says with his pen, making sure not to drop them in the strong wind.

“Date of Birth is…”

Encyclopedia - “July 7th.”

“You can remember *that*, but not anything else?” Maki sighs.

“Age is about...twenty-five.”

Visual Calculus - “I’d say twenty to twenty-two.”

Maki nods.

“That sounds about right. Twenty to twenty-two years of age.”

“Sex: Female.”

“Height is…”

Visual Calculus - “Around 1.68 metres.”

Maki nods again.

“1.68 metres tall.”

“Body hair...long, dark hair. White clips are used to hold it in place.”

“Weight...Chest size…and blood type left, right? We’ll leave those for the processing.”

“If you need it, I have the measuring tape.” Shuichi mentions.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Situation tab.”

Shuichi turns a page on his small notebook, and continues scribbling down words.

“Assistant.”

“Who wants to help Kaede with this?” Maki asks.

“I can do it.” Shuichi pipes up.

Maki nods.

“Coroner’s Case Number…”

“What’s the time now?” She asks, looking towards me.

I look at my Monopad.

“10:40 AM.”

“KA130-0312.1040.”

Logic - Ah, it’s the format again. 

“Summary. The hardest part.” Maki pauses.

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi stops scribbling, as she thinks of what to write.

Logic - “The woman was killed on around the 28th or 29th of November. The time of death cannot be verified, though it is likely past 12:04 PM. The body was found on the boardwalk on the coast of Martinaise, where it was found leaning against a bench with a stab wound in her upper abdomen.”

“...Well done.” Maki nods.

“You got all that?” She turns to Shuichi.

He nods, as he continues scribbling.

“No treatment, as far as I can see.”

“Postmortem.”

She looks the body over.

“External examination. The victim is wearing a long sleeved shirt, with a sailor collar and a pink ribbon bow tie. She wears a short blue skirt, thigh-high socks and brown shoes.”

Perception (Sight) - “No brands as far as I can see...”

Logic - “Maybe custom-made clothing?”

“That’s probably right. Never understood the reason behind having that, but whatever.”

Maki leans in close to the stab wound.

“Haemorrhaging in the victim’s abdomen. She bled about...fifty percent of her total blood volume in a span of about five minutes.”

Logic - From *one* stab wound? That’s insane.

“That’s slightly suspicious isn’t it?” I ask.

All Maki and Shuichi do is nod.

“It hit a vital organ, probably. The stab was quite deep too.”

Perception (Sight) - There’s no other wounds on the body you see. This is the only answer.

Is...it, though?

“The stab wound goes in about...3 centimeters.”

Visual Calculus - Correct estimation.

“It looks like it hit the aorta...” Maki leans in *even* closer to the wound.

“She could have bled out in as soon as *2 minutes*...” Shuichi comments.

“If it hit the liver...” Kaito looks away, slightly frustrated.

“She would likely have had enough time to get to a hospital, yes.” Maki looks up.

“Damn it…” I mutter in frustration.

“Chest seems intact. Other than that, no other major wounds to be seen…”

She lifts up Sayaka’s left hand.

“Signs of a struggle. Light bruises on her left palm.”

She moves on to Sayaka’s right hand.

“Her knuckles are bruised here. There was a slight struggle.”

“This person...was experienced.” Maki frowns, looking away.

Perception (Smell) - Trying to avoid the stench for a bit.

“How’d you know, Maki Roll?”

“No normal person would be able to kill someone with one puncture wound - aimed straight in the aorta. Either this person is extremely lucky, or very experienced.”

Inland Empire - Heh. Luck.

“But...who’d be experienced in *this*?” Kaito asks, slightly nervous.

“Serial killers, assassins like me, someone who works in a medical business…a lot of people.”

“Internal summary next.”

She looks back at the body.

“Musculoskeletal system.” She massages the idol’s throat.

“It’s okay.”

“Gastrointestinal is damaged, as the wound hit the aorta. Respiratory system seems alright as well…”

“That’s it for internal. Description of injuries next, Shuichi.”

He nods quietly, still writing.

“Bruises on left palm and right knuckles…”

Logic - “Pre-mortem and non-fatal.”

Maki nods.

“Sounds about right, Kaede.”

“Stab wound…”

“Fatal injury.” Shuichi and I echo.

“We’re done here.”

Inland Empire - *Are you*, though?

Reaction Speed - You could try the trick that worked the last time.

…

Inland Empire (Success) \- Sayaka? 

Kaede.

It...worked.

Mmhmm. Imagination goes a long way, doesn’t it, Kaede? 

I guess…

Are you ready?

Ready...for what?

To solve my murder.

Perception (Sight) - The body smiles, with her eyes closed.

“...Yes.”

I’m glad to hear that.

Kaede...I want you to at least know this.

Know...what?

Not *all* of it was your fault. Don’t take my mistakes as yours too, okay?

...Alright. I understand.

*No*. It *was* your fault, Kaede Akamatsu. And it always will be.

Shut up, tie. I’ve always hated you.

But just because you made a single mistake. All because *you* made a bad decision - someone had to die. A life for a life, isn’t it?

There’s no point to *that*. Besides, I made a mistake that night too, didn't I?

Sayaka…

You’ll be fine! You just have to believe in yourself! Like you always do!

Perception (Sight) - You could’ve sworn that she looked up at you, hand over her chest, smiling.

What happened that night?

Oh, don’t worry about that. You’ll find out eventually. Maybe by this Sunday.

Who killed you? I need to know!

I don't even know. I was...a bit lenient on my drinking that night.

But...Kaede, can I...make a request?

Ah...go ahead.

Keep your friends safe. Don’t make the same mistake again. Please…

What mistake did I make that night?

You don’t remember, right...

Don’t *hesitate*.

And...please...give my friends the news.

Empathy - Understood.

Thank you.

Could I...talk to you again?

Inland Empire - The girlish voice in your head giggles a bit.

Sure!

Inland Empire - Suddenly, the world turns. The girl smiles, and suddenly, the victim comes back.

Perception (Hearing) - “Kaede! Let’s get going!” You hear Kaito shout from behind you.

Inland Empire - Under the skirt, a constantly-changing QR code blinks.

Shivers - The reeds hiss. Water hits the coast once again, and the birch tree on the islet waves desperately.

Shivers - KEEP GOING. DO IT FOR HER.

I nod silently, and turn around. 


	36. Gonta Gokuhara and Kiibo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tomorrow is just a whisper away…”

10:56 AM

Shivers - YOU SHOULD COME BACK HERE WHEN IT SNOWS.

“You seem happy.” Maki comments.

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

“Did something happen?”

“No, not really.”

Shuichi gives a slightly doubtful look, but continues following behind me.

As we walk on the wooden planks, we decide to follow the boardwalk in the other direction, towards a large abandoned building.

Perception (Sight) - The windows are barred. Dusty. Rusty, too. Just like those railings.

Perception (Hearing) - The windows rattle from the strong wind. Covered in a thick layer of grime. Forty years, at least. Water drips inside.

Perception (Sight) - You can’t see anything inside - other than the shadow of a staircase that seems to be collapsing.

Visual Calculus - There’s rust on these bars. Corrosion.

“Can you guys see what’s inside?”

I ask.

Maki tries to look over my shoulder.

“...Not *at all*.” She looks away.

Shuichi and Kaito try to look in as well, but soon give up.

Perception (Sight) - “Careful, the planks collapse here.” I point to a slope.

“How did that even…” Kaito mutters in shock.

“An earthquake?” Shuichi suggests.

We round a corner of the building on the wooden planks.

Perception (Sight) - On the side of this wall, a bright mural towers above you. The signage has peeled off over the years.

“MI Electrical…”

Perception (Sight) - “Tomorrow is just a whisper away…”

Inland Empire - True for the following events, too.

I step slightly closer to the building.

Perception - The roof above is collapsed, with undergrowth taking over. The windows are broken. Walls are cracked. The breeze sighs in the rooms. Seagulls pick apart the stone and metal. 

Conceptualization - MI *Electrical*. Ironic - with all these dark rooms.

Inland Empire - Something in the wind - the only way to go forward sometimes is to fail first.

“What *is* this building?” I ask.

“An R&D department? In Martinaise, MI was a company that used to be part of the cybernetics market.” Shuichi answers.

Encyclopedia (Failed) - “Hold on, what’s R&D?”

“An acronym for research and development.” Maki looks away.

“Don’t think I’ve ever heard of ‘em.” Kaito shrugs.

“Don’t worry about it. That’s normal.” Shuichi answers.

“They used to do a lot of work on computers and inventions, but they were run out of the business after Seol came along.”

“What happened then? For it to become like this?”

“The Revolution - *and* the Tragedy at the same time.” 

“Not something a company would be likely to live through.” Maki says matter-of-factly.

“MI decided to move back to Japan, after the Revolutionary Government took over. Though before they did, they built most of this side of the town.”

“Wait, what exactly did they build here?”

“The buildings, even the boardwalk were all constructed by MI.”

“So we’re standing on their property right now…” I look down.

“But, with that being said, even after they moved back to Japan, they got ran out of the business anyways. They say the most important part of the company decided not to rejoin.”

“The most important part?”

Shuichi nods.

Could...Mukuro be in this building?

Shivers (Failed) - In *there*? She could be in that completely identical ruin there, in that church tower, literally anywhere.

Shivers - This time - there is no help. No rustle in the reeds. The wind has died, and the waves wash the coast. That’s *it*. Nothing.

Wait, what was I...even trying to do?

Shivers - To talk to the wind? Whatever you thought would happen - didn't. Now you’re just standing there - hands at your sides.

Inland Empire - A prayer - to Revachol.

“She could be *anywhere*. How do we find her?” I turn around, asking.

“How…” Shuichi repeats.

“We could ask people around here...” Kaito shrugs.

“We can investigate the church too. If she’s reckless, she’ll be in there.” Maki points.

Conceptualization - Or maybe she’s *spiritual*?

Esprit De Corps - You can almost *hear* the fear in Kaito right now, as he stares at the abandoned religious building. He clenches his fists, and calms himself.

“And if *that* doesn’t work?”

“Then we look for where we *can’t* enter. Bunkers. Storm drainage, *this* building…”

Inland Empire - Start west from here.

Shivers - Walk the coast. The boardwalk and reeds will stay. You can always come back here - and talk to the wind again. It already got you this far.

We can do this.

“Let’s start with looking around for people!” I pump my fists.

THOUGHT COMPLETE

A Client’s Request

_The maid sits in the dark, watching the boyish girl leave. She raises her hand to object, but stops herself. If she tries to stop her, what happens to her selfless devotion? Her opinion has no importance to a master. She simply needs to stay quiet, and do her job - serve. Maybe when someone else appears - and proves to her that the girl is in danger. But where does she draw the line?_

+1 Empathy  
+1 Esprit De Corps  
-1 Volition 

11:05 AM

We walk past the concrete structure that leads up to the boardwalk, and follow the path leading south from here, as I take the lead.

I stop suddenly.

Perception (Sight) - On your right, a sewer.

“Do you guys think she could be in here?”

“Possible, but unlikely.” Maki crouches down.

Shuichi nods.

“It’s been raining the past few days. It would be...uncomfortable, to say the least.” 

“Good point…”

We continue walking down the path, until the path bends right - towards west.

“Hey, Kaede? Where are we heading?” Kaito asks.

“Something’s here.” I mutter.

Perception (Sight) - There are reeds all around here.

We continue walking on the path, until we spot a large man crouched down and touching a strange cylinder on the ground.

Uh...he’s...really big. Like...what?

Visual Calculus - 2 metres tall.

Perception (Sight) - He’s *really* muscular - you can tell. He has long and thick brown-ish hair, along with a brown blazer and pants, along with what looks like a yellow tie. He isn’t wearing any shoes, and he’s wearing white glasses over red piercing eyes. He also has a bug box that’s strapped over him.

Perception (Sight) - Inside, there ar-

Eek! Please stop!

Perception (Sight) - I mean...okay, Ma’am.

“Gonta?” Shuichi asks.

The man turns around.

“Oh! Shuichi! Hello!” He gives a wave.

Encyclopedia (Failed) - Don’t know anything about this guy.

“Um...hi.” I smile, sweating a little.

“Kaede!”

Logic - He recognizes you.

That’s pretty obvious, yes.

Composure - You...should be fine. Probably. He’s only slightly bigger than Nekomaru, and he turned out okay.

Perception (Sight) - They seem pretty similar, actually.

“Wait, why are those four here?” A man with white hair stands up from the background. In front of him - I can see the remnants of a campfire.

Perception (Smell) - They’re *doused* in ignition fluid. But - you can’t get a fire going this close to the ocean...

Wait...I’ve seen him somewhere before…

Reaction Speed (Success) - Ah! He’s the Ultimate Robot! You saw him in your Monopad that one time when you were browsing the profiles!

Oh, right! K1-B0, right?

Reaction Speed - Yup. He’s the same class as you.

“Are you guys Monaca’s friends?” Maki asks.

“Friends…? Not really.” K1-B0 shrugs.

Perception (Sight) - The robot has an ahoge too. He’s wearing what basically amounts to metallic armor, with four lights that look like buttons going down the middle. He has pale…’skin’, along with blue eyes and what look like black lines circling around his eyes and down to his neck - though you can’t see that part because of his armor.

Perception (Sight) - There’s a small button on his neck.

“Well, she called you her friends. She’s pretty worried about you guys, you know. She’s waiting for you guys to get back.”

“Ah! Monaca say she waiting for us at Whirling!” Gonta recalls, looking slightly shocked.

“Y-Yeah, but the water lock’s broken…” K1-B0 grips on his collar.

Empathy - Or at least, he’d like to believe it is.

“The water lock’s been fixed.” I smile.

“You guys can head back now.”

“U-Ugh...I have to go back? I was really hoping we could stay one more day…” He clenches his fist.

“Uh...is everything alright, K1-B0?”

Rhetoric - You idiot!

Huh? What? What did I do?

“Kaede, are you alright? You can just call me Kiibo.”

I laugh nervously.

“It uh, slipped my mind. Sorry, Kiibo.”

He smiles.

“Well, it just means you respect my robotic nature, so I’m okay with it.”

Logic - I mean...I guess, sure.

Rhetoric - Thank god.

“More like she *forgot*.” Maki smirks.

“I don’t know what you mean by that, but I do suppose Kaede is a bit clumsy sometimes.” He raises a finger.

“We should probably be getting back then.” Kiibo looks at Gonta.

“Hey! We should get going.”

“Oh, okay! Gonta do one more round first!”

Volition - This man is diligent and patient…

Empathy - Until you tell him you don’t like bugs.

Volition - Still. You could learn a thing or two from him.

“Um...have you guys seen a boyish girl around this area?” Shuichi asks.

“A boyish girl?” Kiibo tries to recall.

“No, not yet. Have you seen anyone at all, Gonta?”

“Gonta no see anyone!” Gonta shouts, while kneeling down on the ground and inspecting the object.

Shuichi nods, taking out his small notebook again and taking down a short note.

“Well, I guess we’ll just head to the church later, then.” Maki sighs.

“So...what are you guys setting up?” I point to the cylinder-like object on the ground.

“Oh, that? It’s Gonta’s design for a trap.”

“Wait, Gonta designed the trap?”

Kiibo nods, as Gonta continues staring at the trap.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any bait for the phasmid, as Gonta doesn’t want to use any.” He points to Gonta’s bug box.

Empathy - It would hurt him to have to use other insects to catch this one.

“So we just use the Phasmid’s sense of smell to bait it in. It crawls in, and can’t get back out of the funnel - due to the net.”

Logic - Makes sense. A phasmid is relatively large - and usually not smart enough to crawl out.

Ugh...all this bug talk is creeping me out a bit.

Composure (Success) - You’ll be fine.

“Why didn't you use something more solid instead?” Shuichi chimes in.

“We didn't want to damage the specimen’s exoskeleton - in case it was too delicate.”

Rhetoric - And that’s the end of that conversation.

“Monaca looked like she was pretty eager for you two to go back, by the way. Why don’t you guys head back first?”

“Oh, we know. But we have to finish this up first.”

“I didn't know this phasmid was so important to you guys.”

“Of course it’s important to us! Gonta’s *seen* it.”

Reaction Speed - WAIT, WHAT?!

“You’ve...sighted the phasmid?”

“Yup. That’s why we’re out here. Gonta managed to convince Monaca that we’re ready to search for it.”

Inland Empire - Needless to say, you should ask Gonta about it.

“What about you go back first? Then come back?”

“No can do! What if poor phasmid starve?” Gonta’s eyes darken, as he clenches his tie.

Interfacing - Hmm...I *could* go for some trap-setting…

“What if we check the traps *for* you?” Kaito suggests, smiling.

Gonta turns to us in surprise.

“Kaito, you like bugs?”

“Ah, I don’t *hate* bugs, so I guess so, yeah!” Kaito grins.

“Might as well. Gives us a reason to look through the reeds.” Maki remarks.

“T-That won’t be necessary!” Kiibo points quickly.

“Huh?” Kaito pulls back, slightly shocked.

“We can do it by ourselves! It’s fine!”

Empathy - Something’s wrong.

Empathy (Success) - “Is there another reason why you guys don’t want to head back yet?”

“U-Uh, not really, no.” He presses the tip of his fingers together.

Drama - A lie.

“It’s fine, you can tell me.” I smile brightly.

“Ugh...I don’t want to go back to her! She always likes toying with me…”

“Uh…*toying* with you?” I question, slightly worried.

“Yeah! She even shuts me down sometimes just because she doesn’t like me!”

“Really? How?”

“W-Why do you want to know?!”

Inland Empire - His hand hovers over his neck.

Logic - Theory - The button on his neck is the shutdown button.

I guess that makes sense?

Electrochemistry - Press it! Think of how good it would feel to press it!

Uh…

“Why do you guys keep going back to her then?” I ask.

“Whenever we try, she just starts crying!” Kiibo clenches his fist.

“Then Gonta insists on going back, and...I can’t just leave him alone there!”

Empathy - He genuinely cares for his friend.

“You guys are in a bit of a tough spot…” Maki looks to Gonta, who’s still looking over the traps.

“We’ll try to figure things out for you two. You guys can take a break. We’ll check the traps.”

“Oh, wait. Where are these traps?” I ask.

“We have one by the boat shacks there.” Kiibo points behind us.

“One’s at Land’s End, north-east from here. Another’s at the canal, and the last one is right here.” He points below.

Logic - You should check the one at the boat shacks first, then come back to this one.

“What if we *do* find the phasmid?”

“Bring it to us at the water lock. Just make sure the trap is closed tightly.”

“What if we encounter the Phasmid in the wild?” Shuichi asks.

“In my calculations, that has a 0.3% chance of happening. It’s highly unlikely, but just in case, we can get Gonta to spray you down.”

“Hey, Gonta!” Kiibo calls out.

“Huh? What Kiibo want?”

“Do you have that pheromone mixture?”

Gonta nods, taking out a spray can.

“This attracts the insect to you. Should last about a week.”

Ugh...I don’t like the sound of this…

He sprays down Shuichi first, then walks towards me.

“Lay it on me…” I say hesitantly.

Perception (Smell) - The spray smells...odd.

Shivers - The smell of dying reeds.

Encyclopedia - Made of musk - and chemicals.

He moves to Maki and Kaito next, then passes the can back to Gonta.

“So Kaede and friends going to help look for phasmid?” Gonta asks.

Kiibo nods.

“Yes, Gonta. They’re going to check the traps for us.”

“So Kaede love bugs! Kaede no longer bad person!”

Empathy - You’ve probably said something in the past that relates to not liking bugs.

Uh huh…

“Thanks for your help, Kaede. We’ll start breaking down the camp, and we’ll wait for you at the water lock.”

Rhetoric - If there’s any more you’d like to discuss, you have time for that later too.


	37. The Spirits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What a waste of time. Let’s get going.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really tried to make the scene changes less nauseating, but still...reading this just feels...*bad*.
> 
> I hope you guys...'enjoy' this chapter...

11:09 AM

“So...the spray attracts the Phasmid to us, and also prevents it from running away instantly, if it *does* exist.” Shuichi mutters skeptically.

“Yup! At least, that’s what they said.” I nod.

We continue walking southward in the wasteland-like ground, coated yellow and brown with reeds and rain.

We approach two small rickety wooden shacks.

“This must be the boathouses. We should be getting close…”

Perception (Sight) - No boats in them today.

Logic - These haven’t been used in decades, at least.

We continue walking, and see a large building behind the reeds.

Shivers - Before, there were no reeds. The district was booming. Now - the place has become a hiding place, for drunks and teenagers alike.

Perception (Sight) - There! The trap’s in the reeds, on your left!

“Uh...Shuichi, the trap’s here.” I point to the ground.

He nods, crouching down.

“Nothing here, other than the leaves. Not surprising, in all honesty.”

Esprit De Corps - This probably isn’t going to turn anything up…

Perception (Smell) - You can *almost* smell the leaves.

Encyclopedia - Phasmids are herbivores. At least, usually. Maybe. Possibly.

Rhetoric - Makes you wonder - why would they even think about using other insects to catch this one? 

“We should head back to the camp! See if that trap has caught anything yet.”

We head back to where Gonta and Kiibo had set up camp, and look inside the trap they set up.

Perception (Hearing) - The reeds hiss, as you walk by the abandoned camp site.

Shivers - Strange…

Shuichi reaches for the trap.

“Another trap with just the leaves in.”

As we start getting ready to leave to check for the trap near the waterlock, Maki and Kaito quickly run over to the camp, panting heavily.

“What happened?!” I ask worriedly.

“The trap’s gone.”

“...Huh?” Shuichi asks, visibly surprised.

Esprit De Corps - Wait, you mean this might be *real*?

“The one at Land’s End. Either someone removed it, or…”

Logic - No trap, so there’s no phasmid…

Logic - Two theories, as far as I can see. One - there’s competition to find this cryptid - or two, someone is sabotaging them.

Inland Empire - Wrong.

Logic - That isn’t very nice! You don’t just shove off my logical theory like that!

Shivers - A gust of air falls. Instinctively, you look to the MI building. Once this is done, maybe...you should ask the wind again?

“There’s still one more trap too! Maybe that one has something!” Kaito suggests.

Maki nods.

“It’s not *impossible*...”

Shivers (Failed) - Listen to the wind...but for what?

I…

Shivers - What are you listening for? A whistle? A fire? A man? A woman? Mukuro loading a gun?

...What am I doing here? Again?

11:17 AM

“Kaede?” Maki calls.

“Huh?”

“You’re zoning out again. You’ve been doing that way too much.” She sighs.

“Oh! Uh, sorry…”

She kneels down, inspecting the last trap right before the water lock.

“Wait…”

Empathy - Surprise in her voice.

“The leaves...” She mutters.

Reaction Speed - Well. That’s a surprise.

“What is it?”

“The leaves...their blades are gone.”

Logic - Uh...that’s…

“Wait, you serious?!” Kaito asks in shock.

Perception (Sight) - You lean in closer, and see that the netting has been messed with a bit too. Like...someone just shook it.

Shuichi raises his eyebrow.

Esprit De Corps - Twice...is it real? Or a coincidence?

“Doesn’t it look like someone shook the netting to mess it up?” I ask.

“You’re right.” Maki nods.

“We should tell Kiibo and Gonta! They’ll be glad to know, won’t they?”

11:19 AM

As we reach the other side of the water lock, we see Kiibo and Gonta, sitting down and talking.

Logic - Wait, if they came here, they probably already checked the one at the waterlock! Ask if it was the same way before. If not, then the phasmid or whatever tampered with the item should still be close!

You’re right!

“Friends here, Kiibo!” Gonta waves at us.

“We checked all the traps.” Maki looks off into the ocean.

“Did you find anything?” Kiibo asks, unenthusiastically.

“If Maki and Kaede search, I sure they find something!” Gonta smiles.

“The one at Land’s End went missing.” Maki states.

“Huh?” Kiibo raises both his hands in sudden surprise.

“The one at the water lock also had the leaves nibbled.”

“Wait, it didn't catch the Phasmid?” Kiibo asks.

“Nope. It was completely empty, other than the Midrib, surprisingly.”

Encyclopedia - The Midrib is that...weird vein in the middle of a leaf.

Kiibo raises his hand up to his chin.

“How did that happen?”

“Mean Phasmid is clever! Good hunter!” Gonta smiles, while gripping onto the strap of his bug box.

“Well...thanks for the help, all of you. We’ll redesign the traps again…”

Inland Empire - Heartfelt gratitude - but it isn’t *closure*. Is this really the end of this topic?

"Wait, didn't you guys check that trap on the way here?'

"Uh..." Kiibo's eyes turn to Gonta instinctively.

"No."

Logic - Damn. Thought we had a lead there...

Savoir Faire - Maybe some foul play? Theft?

“Oh, wait, what about Monaca?” I ask.

“...” Kiibo thinks for a second.

“I don’t want to be shut down again!” He places a head on his head.

Empathy - That girl….the amount of fear I can feel from him right now….

“What about that key Kirumi gave you?” Shuichi asks.

“Huh?”

“She said you could have the room, right? You could give it to them, so they have a place to stay while they try to figure things out.”

“That...might work out.” I nod.

“Here you guys go.” I take the key out of the side pocket of my backpack and drop it into Kiibo’s hands.

“Ah...thank you!” Gonta smiles.

Empathy - He doesn’t really know what’s going on.

“What’s this for?” Kiibo asks.

“It’s a key for a house - so you guys to rest and to avoid Monaca for now!”

“Oh...really?” He looks at the key in his robotic hand.

“Thanks. Where is it?”

“It’s in the fishing village! The house with stairs and graffiti on the wall.”

Kiibo nods.

“Thank you. We’ll keep looking, and I’ll see if we can try to get rid of Monaca in our lives.”

“Get rid of Monaca? Why?” Gonta asks, confused.

11:23 AM

We accompany the two past the waterlock, when I get a sudden epiphany.

Logic - We haven’t even fully searched the fishing village yet.

We just left without even finishing up the search here…

As we walk on the trail leading to the crashed car, I notice a hole in the wooden fence.

“You guys can keep going. I’ll search those buildings.”

Maki nods.

“I’ll go with you, in case something goes wrong.”

We walk up the slope.

“Someone broke the fence, along with the barbed wire…” Maki comments.

We walk through the large hole.

“No one’s been here in a long time…” I look at swing posts, that is lacking a swing.

Inland Empire - “What happened here? There’s nothing here...”

Logic - Someone thought they could get a summer house here, and they abandoned it after awhile.

“I suppose someone wanted to get a house for cheap - after the war.” Maki inspects a broken shed.

“Maybe they left something useful behind?” I suggest.

“Let’s look around. Not for long.”

Shivers - Four-story buildings. The wind is corralled here.

Perception (Hearing) - Birds coo from a birch tree.

I try pulling open the door to the house, only to find it locked.

“There’s nothing else in the yard…” Maki sighs.

“What a waste of time. Let’s get going.”

Inland Empire - Or was it?

11:28 AM

As we walk into the fishing village, I notice that Kaito and Shuichi are missing.

We approach Kirumi.

“Where did Shuichi and Kaito go?” I ask.

“They went to talk with the men.”

She points behind us, where we see Shuichi and Kaito talking to three older, bearded men in strange clothes.

“Thanks, Kirumi!”

She smiles back, and we jog up to the guys.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“We were just about to ask if they’ve seen Mukuro yet.”

“Can’t remember seeing any women around here lately, other than you two.” One of the men shakes his head.

Drama - He really has no idea who she is.

Perception (Sight) - He’s wearing what looks like a tracksuit, with the color scheme of green, blue and white. His nose is red, and his face is slightly bloated.

Electrochemistry - He’s been drinking.

I look at the other two men.

One of them is lying down in a pipe, softly repeating something to himself.

Perception (Hearing) - “Don’t call…”

The other man is simply sitting down calmly on a bench with what looks like a brown sweater.

“Name’s Rosemary. I have some deals. Smokes - drugs, spirits. What do you want?”

Electrochemistry - OH YES!

Endurance - Suddenly, your tie tightens in excitement.

“Though the spirits I can only let go for 300 *réal*.

Réal?

Encyclopedia - The currency of Revachol. Most people you’ve dealt with so far have been Japanese. Revacholians don’t use yen, they use réal.

Buy the spirit. It has to be done.

I don’t even have the *currency*! How do you want me to get this?

Go ask Shuichi, or something!

This - Kaede, is our end game. We need this.

The...spirits?

Yes.

Is this another one of those ‘get drunk’ ideas?

No. It’s *not* just another drink. For the past three days, we’ve only talked like...what, four times? Maybe three? It’s not fair that you assume I’m a bad person and just want you to down alcohol.

Volition - Except you have degraded her more than enough times now. You need to stop.

I promise, it’s not that kind of idea.

Volition - Then what *is* this idea?! You’ve only been useless!

This is the *climax*, class representative. The *mystery*! Why I exist in the first place!

Then what do you want me to do?

Buy it. Get it off him. Kill him, if you have to. Our *fate* depends on it - along with the fate of two worlds.

Volition - You don’t have to.

Reaction Speed - Maki and Shuichi eye you suspiciously, while Kaito tries to console the man in the pipe.

Esprit De Corps - What’s going through her head now?

“Why does the bottle of spirits cost 300 réal?”

“Real valuable.” He brings out the bottle.

“Business venture stuff.”

“Where did you get it from?” I ask.

“Doctor’s office.”

He’s not kidding. Medicinal spirits are great.

“They gave me a thing that was supposed to stop someone from taking a drink - didn't me for shit.” He gives a crooked smile.

“Five lemons and half a pack of butter - best drink you’ll ever have, I promise.”

“That sounds...dangerous.”

He nods.

“98.7% Alcohol, you know? Amazing. Almost *pure* alcohol. I had three - sold two. Last one is yours for 3 réal. You want it?”

Wait, hold on, what?

Reaction Speed - DON’T YOU DARE SAY IT.

“Uh...sure.”

I turn to Shuichi.

“...Sorry, Shuichi. But do you have any réal?”

Perception (Sight) - His eyes widen a slight bit, and he quickly narrows his eyes in suspicion, but he nods.

“Could I have three?” I request awkwardly.

“A-ah, sure.”

He takes out his wallet from his pants pocket, and drops three coins into my hand.

Perception (Sight) - The coins have a strange symbol...✤?

“3 réal and it’s yours, gal! The deal of a lifetime!”

Reaction Speed - We got ‘em. Well done.

Should I really be doing this?

Yes. You *need* this.

I don’t know how I got talked into doing this…

I drop the three coins into the man’s palm, and he passes me a bottle.

Perception (Sight) - About a litre. The blue colour is *unearthly*. Glows in the dark, probably.

Logic - Keep it away from open flames, please. It’s nearly pure alcohol.

I am so proud of you. Now - whatever you do, *DO NOT DRINK IT*.

Electrochemistry - WHAT?!

This is important.

Electrochemistry - Ah, that’s what you meant! It deserves much more than just *oral* consumption! Up the bum!

Can I kill a part of my brain?

Who said anything about putting it up there? We’re putting it into a special place - later. Keep it safe. Wait for my signal.

Inland Empire - Soon. The time will come soon. Have patience - you brave one.

Shivers - Behind you, a boom barrier. A drop in temperature - then an empty street. No more drivers, just silence.

Shivers - The asphalt grays. Eight years ago, a school bus was here. 312D. A dead dog lies on the road. A motor carriage - hurrying to work.

Logic - That’s enough, wind.

Shivers - A detective stands in front of the boom barrier, hair curled.

Perception (Hearing) - “Kaede! Shuichi!” A girl’s voice calls out. It’s coming from one of the houses.

I look up, and see Hiyoko, who’s peeking outside of the door of a white ‘house’.

“Here! Quick!” She whispers.

Shuichi and I stand up, and walk towards the door, where we push it open.

“Boo!” She pops out from the other side of the door.

Composure (Failure) - “Ah!” You jump back, holding onto Shuichi’s sleeve.

“Wha-” Shuichi gets cut off.

Hiyoko starts giggling.

“Hiyoko…” I stare at her, with crossed arms - pouting.

She hits herself on the head.

“Sorry! I couldn’t help it!”

“You’re so childish…”

Perception (Sight) - The room is tinted yellow by a fire - and the light from the window. There’s a bed and table on your left, a bunk bed slightly in front and a small fireplace on your right. On the ceiling, a stuffed bird hangs.

“Hiyoko, why are you here?”

“Isn’t it obvious, you stupid idiot? I live here!”

“Do you live alone?” I ask curiously.

“Nope! Sometimes, anyway. I’m sharing this room.”

Logic - So that’s what the bunk bed is for...

“Well, since we’re here, we might as well ask some questions.” Shuichi looks away, scratching the back of his head and starting to stand up.

“Hiyoko, have you seen a girl running around here? Short, black hair?” I ask, sitting down on the dusty wooden floor.

She shakes her head.

“Nope.”

Drama - Truthful.

“What’s that?” I ask, pointing up at the stuffed bird.

“I don’t know. Why are you asking me?” She puts her hands behind her back.

Suggestion - You might be able to get on Byakuya’s good side - if you replaced that one bird you broke.

“Can I have that bird? I know someone who really likes taxidermy stuff.” I smile.

“Sure. I don’t care. Go grab it.”

“Thank you!”

I stand up, trying to reach for it.

Savoir Faire (Failed) - You’re too short! You try to jump up and grab it, but you just fall on your butt instead.

Pain Threshold - Ow!

Shuichi smiles, reaching for it and passing it to me.

“T-Thanks…” I stand up slowly.

“It’s fine.”

“Well, see you, Hiyoko!” I smile at her again, before leaving the small house with Shuichi.

"Thanks for answering our questions." Shuichi smiles nervously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The three drunk men are once again characters from Disco Elysium.
> 
> I couldn't really think of anyone who'd replace them, so I just chose to kept them the way they are.


	38. Tenko Chabashira

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is the most stressful part of our job, usually. I think you got this, though.” He smiles reassuringly.

11:30 AM

“Where’d you two go?” Kaito asks, slightly confused as Shuichi and I reappear.

“We were talking to someone.” I say, waving the conversation off.

I look at my Monopad’s journal.

<strike>Interview the Cafeteria manager, Taeko Yasuhiro, the Ultimate Gambler of Class 78.  
Remove the body from the tree, and inspect it carefully.  
Ask for a briefing about the case from Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective of Class 130.  
Find out who made the call to the RCM.  
Start the Initial Interviews, first starting with Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader.  
Finish Initial Interviews, by interviewing Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and the Hope Peak Academy’s representative.  
</strike> Find the person smuggling The Despair Video.  
<strike>Interview DICE about their involvement in the murder.  
Interview Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista of Class 78.  
Identify the woman killed.  
</strike> Find Mukuro Ikusuba, the Ultimate Soldier and the main suspect.  
Determine where the shot came from - by checking out Land’s End, the boardwalk, and the Islet.  
Find out who killed the woman.  
<strike>Name the case.  
</strike> Type up a summary of the case.

“Wait, did we check for any sniper spots at the boardwalk? Or Land’s End?” I ask.

Maki shakes her head.

“We had a few things that popped up, so no.”

“We should probably check those spots, then!” Kaito gives a thumbs up.

“Again…” Shuichi mumbles.

“It’ll be easier if we split up, so…”

Maki nods.

“Kaito and I will head for the Boardwalk.”

Esprit De Corps - You guys still haven’t seen the view on Land’s End yet.

Empathy - She doesn’t want you to see Sayaka’s body either.

“Ah, alright…”

11:37 AM

We walk past the brown river, and a bit further north this time.

Inland Empire - A large shadow falls over you.

Perception (Sight) - A church…

Perception (Hearing) - You swear that you hear loud talking from somewhere on the ice…

Perception (Sight) - There’s a tent there. We can check that out later.

Ignoring the noise, Shuichi and I head up towards the end of the peninsula.

As we pass the boardwalk, we see a large bunker-like building.

Perception (Sight) - Rusty gears and wheels.

Logic - The building used to house an engine - a really big one, probably.

Perception (Sight) - At the top, the chain trails into the ocean, to somewhere unknown.

“What is that?” I ask.

“A military depot?” Shuichi suggests.

Perception (Sight) - The door is worn. It hasn’t been opened in a while. The handle teases you.

“Probably used to service something.”

Visual Calculus (Failed) - “Could the sniper use this as a spot, maybe?”

He shakes his head, and turns behind him.

“The church is in the way…”

Interfacing - Let’s try to open the door!

Can we? It looks really hard to push open…

Interfacing (Failed) - You rattle the handle - and push with *all* of your weight.

Interfacing - It doesn’t budge. Not one bit. You continue pushing, but it just doesn’t work.

“It’s shut tight…” I pant.

“We’re probably not getting in there…” Shuichi smiles nervously.

Rhetoric - No! We’ve gotten into every door thus far. We are not losing that.

“I...guess we can’t, huh?”

Conceptualization - At least you can *think* about opening it. Perhaps something useful will come from thinking about it? As a thought?

We go back on the path, which moves further up the peninsula, bending left - then right.

Perception (Sight) - There are quite a few reeds here…

We pass by a large set of reeds.

Inland Empire - Your left - that’s where the trap *would* have been - in another world.

We walk further up the coast, and reach the end.

Perception (Sight) - On the ground, a burnt out campfire lies.

Perception (Sight) - On the edge, there’s a short radio relay tower, with a rusty ladder. As you look further up, you notice that some of the rungs are missing, and the rungs at the top aren’t even aligned anymore.

Visual Calculus - A safety hazard…

Perception (Sight) - The top has a small space for one to maneuver around, with two antennas sticking out of the sides.

Logic - Probably controls the traffic in and out of the bay.

Visual Calculus - Anything that could indicate that a sniper used this place as a nest?

“...It doesn’t seem like there’s anything here…” Shuichi looks around.

“Is it possible that they climbed that tower and used it to take the shot?” I ask.

Shuichi looks at the tower.

“It isn’t even possible to climb up that ladder, I think…”

“Also, there’s no platform to aim from up there. I don’t think this is the place.” He shakes his head.

I point at the campfire.

“Maybe that was used by the culprit?” I try to think up a theory.

“To warm their hands before pulling the trigger, maybe. But *anyone* could have made this. It’s really cold this time of year…”

Perception (Sight) - Your eyes move over the water - through the smallest of gaps…

Visual Calculus - 1.2 kilometres away - through the dark grey curtains - a small rectangle. There’s a light glowing on the third floor - a simple yellow hue. With binoculars you could see her.

Perception (Sight) - Your eyes move away from the Whirling, and spot several islets and seagulls, off the coast.

“The view here’s really nice…” I mutter.

Perception (Sight) - Your gaze turns to the ocean.

Encyclopedia - Across the rusty water. La Delta. Financial district. It stands bright, taunting the poverty of the coast.

Perception (Sight) - The sun reflects off the waves. The fragile skyscrapers across the bay stand tall - with River Esperance flowing in.

Shuichi smiles next to me.

“The sun’s nice today, isn’t it?”

I nod silently.

Perception (Sight) - The Sun falls onto the war-torn ruins too. The fortress with the little birch tree…

Inland Empire - The Sun is ‘nice’ in certain ways, you suppose.

Volition - Well, something has to be helping us! Not everything is against us! Not the world, not your friends, and not this either.

Shuichi takes his cap off ever so slightly.

Perception (Sight) - The wind ruffles his hair a little, as he continues looking at the coast.

Conceptualization (Failed) - You can’t find any words to describe the world right now.

“It’s really pretty…” I mumble, still gazing across the ocean.

Shuichi nods.

“We should get going, Kaede.”

Shivers - Once again, the wind picks up. The MI building beckons you towards it.

“This was refreshing!” I pump my fists.

“I’m ready for anything now!”

Shivers (Failed) - The writing on the side of the wall rings.

Shivers - Nothing else.

Inland Empire - Wind…

11:40 AM

“Nothing on the boardwalk either.” Maki shrugs, her face slightly flushed while Kaito looks away.

Logic - This was a waste of time. The person was shot from the roof. Is that so hard to understand?!

Empathy - “Is...something wrong?” I ask.

“Nope! Nothing at all…” Kaito’s eyes darken.

Rhetoric - Something is *definitely* wrong.

Rhetoric (Failed) - “R-Really?” You narrow your eyes, but he refuses to budge.

We stand outside the church, wondering about what we should do next.

Shivers - There’s the tent - above the ice.

Empathy - There’s Satomi.

...I should go see Satomi first.

“I’m gonna head back for a bit.”

“Huh? Why?” Maki asks, slightly confused.

I show her Sayaka’s name card.

“Room #20...there’s an apartment place at the waterfront?”

Encyclopedia - “The Capeside Apartments.”

Reaction Speed - By the pier. Those big apartment buildings, you know the ones. Angie was there.

“If Kaede’s heading back, I’ll follow her.” Shuichi smiles.

“I haven’t contacted Hope’s Peak yet to tell them about the new case, so I can do that on the waterfront. There’s cell service there.”

Logic - How much money has he spent on calling past the pale already?

Maki nods.

11:48 AM

As we cross the waterlock, Shuichi pulls out his phone, and brings it up to his ear.

“Miss Yukizome? Kaede and I are working on that case in Martinaise, and we found another body.” He takes a deep breath.

“We’ve identified the body. Sayaka Maizono. Ultimate Idol. She looks like she was stabbed once, and bled to death.”

“...Other than that, no wounds, except some bruises on her right knuckles and left palm.”

“We’re thinking of taking the case.”

“Thank you.”

He hangs up, putting the phone back into his pants pocket.

“She’s informing Precinct 57 about the body, and sending someone to get the body to a morgue. We should go to the Capeside Apartments, for now.”

11:50 AM

We approach the orange door, under the yellow tarp.

“It’s locked.” Shuichi mumbles, pulling on the handle.

I knock on the door.

"No one's inside. Maybe we could try the backyard?" Shuichi suggests. 

Visual Calculus - Backyard? That would be east.

11:56 AM

“So it’s past this alley…” 

Conceptualization - All hail the wall of gods!

Rhetoric - I...think he meant god of walls.

We move into the alley, and find a small yard, with a fence blocking off another yard.

Visual Calculus - This was where Hiyoko was, peeking over the fence while you and Ryoma talked.

Perception (Sight) - On your left, as you walk into the yard is a large building, painted yellow, blue and orange. All of it is worn. The doors are vandalized, the walls are scratched and the paint is wearing off.

I approach the blue door, and pull on the handle.

Perception - Locked.

“There’s probably another way in.” Shuichi remarks.

Inland Empire - Upstairs, on the balcony, a woman leans on the wall. She’ll help you.

I look up, and notice a fair-skinned woman.

Perception (Hearing) - “Oh no.” Shuichi mumbles at the sight.

Perception (Sight) - The girl is wearing a blue crop top and a short blue skirt. There’s this weird pinwheel thing she uses to tie her hair into pigtails, and you can notice an athletic build to her.

Perception (Sight) - Pretty big muscles, though not as large as Gonta’s or Nekomaru. More similar to...Akane.

“Ten...ko? C-could you maybe let us in?” Shuichi asks, sweating bullets.

Encyclopedia - Oh. I know who this is.

Who is it?

Encyclopedia - Give it a minute…

The woman notices her voice being called, and moves to the railing, looking down.

“Oh! It’s Shuichi and Kaede! Have you finally come back, ready for our fight after you have mastered Neo-Aikido?!” She shouts, getting into a fighting stance.

Wait wait wait wait wa-

Encyclopedia - Tenko Chabashira. Ultimate Aikido Master, she’s a female known for hating ‘degenerate males’ (her words not mine). Though it’s weird that she’s not getting a reaction from Shuichi…

Hold on, what’s this about a fight?!

“U-Uh, Tenko, could you keep that off until next time? Kaede and I are investigating a case right now…”

Tenko narrows her eyes.

“Wait, you’re still a guy?!”

“W-Why wouldn’t I be one?!” Shuichi asks, slightly shocked at the question.

“What are we talking about?” I ask, slightly confused.

Tenko gasps.

“Kaede, you forgot our promise?!”

I...shouldn’t have said that.

Rhetoric - Were you even thinking?!

“Well, I suppose it can’t be helped…” She crosses her arms.

“When we see each other again, I will see to it that we will fight!” She points at us.

“Well, for now, I’ll just help you guys. You wanna head in, right?” She asks.

“Yeah. Could yo-”

Suddenly, she vaults over the railing!

Physical Instrument - Damn. Why can’t *you* do that?!

She lands on the ground.

Endurance - That would almost certainly break a few bones if it were you or Shuichi.

Tenko then turns over a stone in the mud next to the blue door, revealing a small key.

“Don’t tell anyone else about this. Especially any degenerate males, please.” She says, slightly sweating.

“Thank you, Tenko.” I smile.

She blushes a bit.

Shuichi smiles quietly as well, putting the stone back in place.

12:02 PM

“Tenko, where would Room #20 be in this building?”

“Room #20 is one of the upstairs apartments. One of the balcony rooms.” She points up.

“I can bring you two there, if you want!”

“Sure! Thanks for this, Tenko!”

She turns left, and pulls open a door.

“Tenko, what are you doing here?” Shuichi asks, as the breeze hits you again.

Visual Calculus - You’re up where Tenko was earlier.

“Y-You see…” She presses her fingertips together.

“Master and I were planning on acting as the Heroes of Justice in this neighbourhood.” She explains.

She stops in front of a door.

Perception (Sight) - Apartment #20.

Heroes of Justice?

Encyclopedia (Success) - They’re basically superheroes. There are small rumours every now and then - where a girl gets help from two masked superheroes, who seem like practitioners of Aikido.

Logic - Tenko and her master.

“But then, one night, Master just disappeared! He told me he was going out for a bit, but when he didn't come back the next day, I got worried.”

“I didn't know what to do, so I just stayed in my room here.”

“When did he disappear?”

“About...four days ago. Maybe three.” She nods to herself.

Logic - Same timeframe as Sayaka going missing. Is it possible?

“I tried to call the police, but they said they were too busy. So I’ve just been stuck here, waiting…”

“We’ll try to find him.” Shuichi nods.

“Well, I think you two have your business now...” She points at the door behind her.

“Good luck, you two! The next time I see you, you better be ready for our fight!” She walks up a few stairs on our left, and heads into a room, waving at us and smiling.

I smile and wave back.

Composure - Focusing the topic on *them* is so much easier. We don’t have to talk about our amnesia at all! Wunderbar!

Shuichi holds onto his cap.

Esprit De Corps - He’s motioning for you to knock on the door.

Inland Empire - This is *the* door. The right one. This is going to be so hard.

Volition - Pull yourself together. This is police work - a necessary evil.

You don’t *have* to do this - if you don’t want to.

I take a deep breath, preparing myself. 

“Shuichi, I forgot to mention.”

“Huh?”

“I know someone else who lives here. A Satomi Aoba.” I pull out Satomi’s name card.

Shuichi places a finger under his chin.

“Another in Sayaka’s idol group…”

“What should we expect?”

“...We have to deliver the death notification, and ask a few questions.” Shuichi pulls down his cap a slight bit.

“She’s the only way we can inform Sayaka’s family right now, so we have to do this.”

“This is the most stressful part of our job, usually. I think you got this, though.” He smiles reassuringly.

Empathy - That smile is for himself as well. He’s losing his composure.

“I’ll monitor the person’s reactions. It’s up to you…”

Esprit De Corps - He can’t do this - but you might be able to.

Composure - Mentally prepare yourself.

Inland Empire - Fate hums. Symphony No.5.

Composure - Bad. No. Try a nocturne.

I knock on the door.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

Perception (Hearing) - You hear slight shuffling.

The door opens a slight crack, as someone peeks through.

Suddenly, the door opens, inviting us in.

12:10 PM

“I was hoping it was you!” Satomi smiles.

“Would you like something to drink? Tea?” She asks.

“Ah, no, thank you…” I quickly mutter.

Shuichi looks down at his notebook, flipping through the pages.

Esprit De Corps - He’s letting you take the lead. You’re on your own for now.

Authority - As he should.

“This is about Sayaka, right? What happened?” She stops suddenly, sitting down.

Perception - Trying to read your face.

Composure - Keep it together, Pianist. You don’t want your body language to tell her the news, do you?

“Why are you and Sayaka here?” I ask, trying to change the subject for a bit.

“We’re here for a few rehearsals for some performance.”

“Does anyone else live here?”

“There are three other members that were supposed to be here, but they travelled out too much - so no.”

“How old are they?”

“We’re all around twenty-one years.”

“Why all the questions, though?” She laughs nervously.

Shuichi clears his throat, nervous.

“We have something to tell you…” I say sadly.

Empathy (Success) - You’ve never taken responsibility before - now is the time. Keep your focus.

D-Do I just...say she’s dead...just like that?

Empathy - Yes. That’s the most important thing. Use that word.

Rhetoric - No euphemisms. This is what you’re here for.

“Satomi...I’m sorry.”

“Huh?” She looks at me, slightly confused.

“Sayaka Maizono was found dead on the Martinaise boardwalk.”

She blinks.

“We’re very sorry for your loss, Ma’am.”

“If...you have any questions, I want you to know that we are here for you. Take your time…” Shuichi looks away.

Empathy - Even the cap isn’t enough.

“What...happened to her?”

Perception (Sight) - She’s shaking.

“She…”

How do I say this?!

Empathy - “She was stabbed, and died from blood loss…”

“How long...had she been there?”

Empathy - Don’t say two days. Don’t say three days. Don’t say four days. Don’t say five days. Don’t say six days. Don’t say seven days.

“It...wasn’t long.”

Shuichi takes out a handkerchief from his breast pocket, and slowly passes it to the woman.

“I have to tell the others...too…her family as well...” She starts tearing up.

Empathy - No matter what you do, don’t say you know how she feels.

She wipes away the tears with Shuichi’s handkerchief.

Suggestion - No fair!

Volition - Shh!

“Is there anyone we could call for you? A family member, or someone who could be here for you?”

Satomi takes a deep breath, calming herself down.

Conceptualization - Unreal.

“Do I call them? I...do I go back? I don’t...I just don’t know…”

Empathy - No.

“Take a day to recover first - you’ll be better prepared…” I answer.

“Th-That’s probably the right thing to do…”

“Where can I...see her?” She asks.

“Wait, no. That’s...wrong. That should be left for her family…”

“If you wish to see her, you have to request permission from her family, and call the local morgue…” Shuichi tears out a page from his notebook, passing it to Satomi.

Drama - A good call.

“Thank you...for informing me.” She looks at the piece of paper.

Shuichi looks at me.

Esprit De Corps - He signals that you two should probably leave.

In the silence, we pull open the door, and leave the stuffy room.

12:35 PM

I let out a large sigh.

“You managed to do it…” Shuichi smiles.

Inland Empire - Someone’s watching you.

Perception (Sight) - On your right, the curtains shift.

“I should have done more…”

“You did enough, at least.” He reassures.

Conceptualization - Can’t bring the dead back…

I look up, seeing the Industrial Harbour DICE has taken control of.

Volition - She’ll manage. They’ll manage. It’s not your place to live their lives.

Shivers - 1.2km away - the broken stone cuts the sky. The clouds bleed water. The building’s mural. Tomorrow is just a whisper away.

“So...what do we do now?” I ask.

“We find the murderer. I’ve informed Hope’s Peak about us taking the case. I’ll add it to the Deadly Life case list later.”

Perception - And with that, the rain starts again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tenko was a bit out of character here - I thought she'd be a bit sadder or more serious due to her master being...possibly dead.


	39. The Dolorian Church

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ever hear ambientyay music? Yeah, that.”

1:05 PM

“Damn.” Kaito comments, looking away.

“At least you managed to do it.” Maki sighs.

“We’ve been looking on the coast for a while now, but it started raining. *Again*.” She explains.

Gonta and Kiibo look at the table, trying to figure out a new design for their trap.

“Shuichi and I will keep looking on the coast, then. It’s better than just staying here…” I suggest.

“Besides, Shuichi has a gun! So we could probably handle ourselves!” I raise a finger in realization.

Maki nods.

“Shuichi would probably be enough to protect you - though maybe not from an Ultimate Soldier…” She looks away, thinking.

“Come on, Maki Roll! They’ll be fine.” Kaito assures.

Maki looks back to us, and nods.

“Go ahead.”

1:08 PM

As we leave the house, we start heading out.

“Shuichi, can we check out that tent on the ice? Near the church?” I suggest.

He thinks for a moment, before nodding.

“Sure. I think I heard people in there - maybe they’ll have a few answers.”

1:10 PM

As we start walking, my mind wanders as I try to make small talk with Shuichi.

What happened between Kaito and Maki earlier, you think? They were all flustered.

Suggestion - Probably something romantic happened.

Esprit De Corps (Failed) - “It’s really windy here, isn’t it?” The purple-haired man smiles.

“Careful. Some of the boards are gone here.”

Kaito looks around, crouching next to the body.

“There aren’t any spots here near the body, I think. Let’s check near the MI building.” Maki suggests instead.

As they walk forward, Kaito coughs and suddenly trips, nearly falling down the slope before Maki catches his leg.

“Hey! Pay attention. We can’t have you getting hurt right no-”

1:17 PM

“What are you doing out here on the ice?” Shuichi asks.

I look around, and notice that we’re on the ice, and nearby is the tent.

Perception (Sight) - A girl is kneeling on the ice, with a strange electronic item in her hand. She looks up at Shuichi’s question.

Perception (Sight) - Brown hair, kept up with a ribbon. Yellow eyes, and basically her entire face is covered in make-up. She’s wearing a plain school uniform - with a megaphone on her hip.

Suggestion - All of that is for *something*. She’s dressing up for someone.

Empathy - It’s cold out here - and she’s not wearing any protective clothing! She must be absolutely freezing.

“Who, me? I’m just recording the cracks in the ice.” She states, looking at the ice.

“I’m Kanon. Kanon Nakajima. You two?” She looks back up again.

“I’m Kaede - and he’s Shuichi.”

“What are you recording for?” I ask, slightly curious.

“Ever hear ambientyay music? Yeah, that.” 

“I’m sorry, what?” I narrow my eyes.

Encyclopedia (Failed) - Uh...I would like to say I know what that is. I do not.

“Ambient. I thought it was obvious…” She scratches the back of her head, looking back at the ice again.

Oh! Like...that relaxing music! Makes sense.

Empathy - She looks at the recording device - something that gave her access to her joy and happiness. But she still feels childish for it.

“Aren’t you cold?”

She shakes her head.

“No, not really. I’m fine!”

“Even in the rain?” I look up, as the droplets continue falling.

She nods.

“Are you with the people in there?” I point towards the large blue tent.

“Yup!”

Logic - And why are *you* out here, young lady?

“Why aren’t you in there with them?”

“There isn’t any space in there to do this. Also I wanted to give him some space.”

Suggestion - “Him?”

“Yeah, Leon!”

“Leon?” I question.

“Eh? You don’t know Leon?” She asks, slightly shocked.

“The Ultimate Baseball Star - the coolest man alive!” Her eyes start shining.

“Is that so…” I eye the tent suspiciously.

“Wait, what’s your last name?” The girl looks at me.

“Akamatsu?”

Her eyes widen.

“Oh, crap! It’s you - the Ultimate Pianist!”

Composure - All that calm - gone in one second. She must be one of *those* types - calm outside, freaking out inside.

“Huh?”

“Leon was always talking about you and playing in the band! How was it?!” She asks quickly.

“Uh…”

Drama - “It was...great! Playing the synthesizer and keyboard with them was fun.”

Composure - Whew, that was a close one.

Rhetoric - Though she doesn’t seem to be paying that much attention when talking about Leon...she didn't even notice the last conversation you had with her - where you literally said you didn't know who he was.

“Wow, really?! Leon’s inside the tent - you might want to see him later!”

Empathy - It somewhat hurts her to say this - but seeing Shuichi by your side calms her a bit.

Empathy (Failed) - “Hey, what’s up with you and Leon, by the way? You seem a bit...happy to talk about him.” I ask.

“Ah, it’s nothing! It’s just - we’re cousins.”

Empathy - Seems about right.

“I used to be the anagermay for his team!”

Rhetoric (Success) - Manager.

“You used to manage for his team?”

She nods quickly.

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi turns to you, eyes slightly widened in surprise that you could understand her.

Empathy - She’s absolutely *obsessed* with this man. Notice the change in attitude?

Suggestion - Lovestruck? She’s his cousin - so it’s probably a one-sided attraction if so. Maybe?

She tries her best to calm down.

“Well, what are you two doing here? Not often you see RCM here, especially in uniforms like those.” She questions.

Empathy - The black she can deal with, but the *pink*? Might be...a bit much.

“Oh, we’re not exactly the RCM. We’re just helping them out.” I point out.

Shuichi tries to change the subject.

“We’re looking for a boyish girl with black hair. Anyone like that around?”

She shakes her head.

“Haven’t seen anyone like that before.”

“Well? How is it going to Hope’s Peak? With *Leon*?!” She asks.

“Uh...that’s it for now. Thank you for answering our questions!” I smile awkwardly, and quickly approach the tent.

Perception (Sight) - The flap is open, with two people talking loudly.

“Oh, shit! It’s Kaede!” A man with orange spiky hair points towards me.

Inland Empire - In another world, it would be full.

“Come on in!”

Shuichi nods at me.

We squeeze into the tent and look around.

Perception (Sight) - A speaker used for live music sits in the back of the tent.

Perception (Sight) - Two people. First - someone on your left, sitting on a box. He’s the man with the orange spiky hair. Blue eyes and a goatee. He looks like someone...trying too hard to be cool.

Composure - He’s plenty cool. What are you talking about?

Logic - Probably the Leon that was mentioned earlier.

Perception (Sight) - Second - A pale girl with long multi-coloured hair. Her hair is tied into two horns, and dyed blue, pink, black and white. She wears a regular sailor uniform with a black skirt. She also has a few piercings. She’s sitting down on the ground, with her hands clenched.

She waves at me.

“Haiiii Kaede!”

Composure - She...is radiating way too much excitement.

Esprit De Corps - I-Bu-Ki Mi-O-Da! That’s her name. Combine it, what do you get?!

Ibuki Mioda?

Encyclopedia - Ultimate Musician. Used to be in a Light Music club - quit due to…’creative differences’.

“Ah...hi there.” I wave awkwardly.

“When did you turn so boring, Kaede?!”

Ibuki asks in surprise.

“Huh?”

“Yeah, you do seem a bit different…” The man crosses his arms.

“Well, whatever. Who’s the guy?” Leon asks.

Empathy - How’d a guy like him get her? Looks like a complete loser - is what he thinks.

Esprit De Corps - Actually, that’s *very* exaggerated. More of a 'wow, he actually got her'.

Do we actually look like that?

“He’s Shuichi! Ultimate Detective!” I look to Shuichi, who’s by my side.

“Ultimate Detective, huh?”

The girl stands up, inspecting Shuichi who’s trying his best not to fidget.

She nods to herself, making approving sounds before jumping from side to side, humming to herself.

“Uh, why are you guys here?” I ask.

“We’re organizing another music venue - like old times.” 

“Ibuki wants to play the guitar with her friends!” She smiles, with her eyes closed.

“We’re gonna go move into the church and set up a few performances there. I dunno why, Ibuki over here just said she wanted to play in Martinaise.”

“If you guys are setting up in the church, why are you here?” Shuichi asks.

“Uh...it’s…*spooky* in there.”

“Spooky?” I question.

“Yeah, man. There’s like, people in there who are messing around.” Leon clenches his fists.

“You have to see it to believe it.”

“...I mean, I guess we have a bit of time to investigate this too, don’t we?” I turn to Shuichi, who gives a very half-hearted nod and an awkward smile.

“I...guess. It gives us a reason to investigate the church, too.”

"You guys are willing to actually go in there?" He asks, slightly surprised. 

I nod. 

"We've done spooky stuff before! It should be fine." 

"Well, if you're that sure about it..." He crosses his arms for the second time. 

“Oh, before you go in, we locked the door with a padlock, to stop others from going in just in case.”

“You...locked people in a building with no food or water?” Shuichi asks, eyes widening.

“U-Uh oh.” Leon’s eyes darken.

“When was this?!” I ask.

“Around...a week!” He answers.

“Where’s the key?” Shuichi quickly asks.

Leon looks through his pockets, before quickly throwing it towards me.

Reaction Speed (Success) - You look at the trajectory of the metal. Chime on your left, and then...the key hits your palm.

We turn around, and start running on the ice.

Savoir Faire - Normally, a part of this would crumble right now if it was a movie. It’s real life though...whatever…

We approach the large decrepit building.

Perception (Sight) - So much graffiti. The wood has turned gray and white over time, where it originally was black.

Perception (Sight) - A sign reads ‘Saint-Brune 1147’.

Perception (Sight) - The door is *massive*. It’s twice your height - and rectangular.

I push the key in, and open the padlock.

Shivers - Feels like electricity - and a piece of *nothingness*.

I pull open the door.

1:35 PM

Inland Empire - You should walk here, not run.

As we walk into the slightly lighted building, the first thing I notice is a blackboard.

“This is brighter than I expected…” I look around.

Perception (Sight) - It’s hard to read, but...something about radio frequencies.

“Shuichi...there’s something about radio frequencies here.” I point at the board.

“You think Mukuro could’ve been…”

“Here? It’s possible.”

As I walk around the blackboard, I see some radio equipment, and…

Perception (Sight) - A broken stained glass window. It towers above you.

A woman? The bottom of the window is destroyed, though...

Encyclopedia - Her Innocence, Dolores Dei.

Inland Empire - You should kneel.

Volition - No.

Inland Empire - There is a sad smile on the woman’s lips.

Conceptualization - She notices the passing of someone who is *still* alive.

Empathy - It’s you. 

“The Dolorian Church of Humanity.” Shuichi looks up.

“This was what I was talking about on the first night.”

Esprit De Corps - A group of cops rush into the church. The walls are stained with bullets. A police raid.

“...The RCM raided this church.” I look up.

Shuichi turns to me in surprise.

“How can you be so sure?”

Rhetoric - How come *he* isn’t sure? This information is confidential, then…

“...Dolorianism…”

“Everyone else here believes in it.” Shuichi comments.

Empathy - Their system does not ask for your faith - only your accordance.

Encyclopedia (Failed) - A mystery.

Visual Calculus (Failed) - You try to reconstruct the cracked glass. It just...can’t. It doesn’t work.

I turn away, and decide to start investigating the rest of the church.

I walk into the middle of the building, and notice a small bowl on the ground.

Perception (Sight) - Water drips into it. It has wires that connected to *other* bowls on the ground.

As I slowly start walking forward…

Perception (Hearing) - The silence in this part of the church. It’s…*terrifying*. All the shifting matter. All the shuffling of living things. It’s all...gone.

Perception (Hearing) - Suddenly, it’s...gone. All of it - except a small hum. You can barely hear your own breathing.

W-What?

I stomp on the ground.

Perception (Hearing) - A few muffled thumps - then, a more *total* silence.

I turn to Shuichi, who seems similarly perplexed.

He leans closer to me.

“Can you hear anything?” The voice is a near whisper.

“Wh-What’s going on?”

“The church just has some strange engineering trick, perhaps?” Shuichi suggests.

Empathy - His tone doesn’t conceal how uncomfortable he is.

Conceptualization - Maybe the church was designed this way to discourage singing or dancing on the premises?

“Something...is weird…”

Shuichi tenses up a little.

I look up into the bell tower above.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - Something’s...moving up there. A shadow has emerged from the tower, and it’s slowly making its way toward you.

From the ceiling?

I slowly back off, trying to keep my eyes on the shadow.

Perception (Sight) - It’s not a shadow anymore. It becomes more substantial, as it gets closer.

“Is...something wrong?” Shuichi looks up as well.

Perception (Sight) - It’s gone!

I blink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've finally reached the last side plot line!
> 
> I think. Probably.
> 
> The next chapter will probably finish the side plot lines - and finally go back to Mukuro hunting! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	40. The Swallow (and Miu Iruma)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, look! It’s *Shyhara* and *Kaeidiot*!” She snorts, as her face turns a deep shade of red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was...strange to write, to say the least. A bit of an earlier chapter, in preparation for tomorrow!
> 
> Warning - this chapter has quite a bit of explicit language (a lot more than the past few chapters).
> 
> I'm pretty sure I overdid it with Miu's swearing (I think she had like, two lines where she didn't drop a swear word), but I felt that was the appropriate reaction she'd have to Martinaise.
> 
> Well, with that being said, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

1:40 PM

Perception (Sight) - You look closer in the frame of the building.

Perception (Sight) - The shadow...is a man? He’s hanging off the side, watching you two.

“Who’s there?” I ask.

Shuichi quickly pulls out his pistol.

Hand/Eye Coordination - There’s no rounds in there.

“Habitual Alcohol usage.” The man speaks.

Electrochemistry - Hey! You haven’t even drank a single drop lately! Lay off us!

“I...wait, how did yo-”

“I can tell. I’ve seen many problems before.”

Perception (Sight) - You can’t see the man at all. He’s...it’s like he’s made of darkness.

Volition - Maybe you could try to pay attention? He seems wise, at least. A teacher - if you would. Maybe even a master?

Don’t tell us what to do, *crab man*.

“Who are you?” I ask.

Empathy - The man swaying hesitates a bit - unsure of how to answer.

“My name does not matter. I am simply the head priest of a temple.”

“The...head priest of a temple.” Shuichi repeats.

“Would you...happen to know Tenko?” He asks.

The man chuckles to himself. “You could say that, yes. I - in fact, *taught* her that Aikido style.”

“What was it again? Neo-Aikido, or something like that. Had to waste her energy *somehow*.”

Drama - Not an act. Truth, my liege.

“Wait, you’re Tenko’s master?!” I ask, slightly surprised.

Shuichi nods to himself.

Empathy - He’s satisfied with this answer.

“I’m...a bit scared to ask, but what were you doing up in the church tower?” I inquire.

“Trying to find a way out. Didn't hear you guys come in. I’ve been stuck in here for the past few days, now. Had a slight bit of water, and no food.”

He jumps down from the church ceiling, revealing a man in a mask.

Perception (Sight) - He’s wearing a white gi. He has a muscular body, and is slightly taller than Shuichi. He’s a bit on the older side.

Visual Calculus - Maybe...forty?

“Thanks for opening the door. I shall be taking my leave now.” He turns away, walking towards the door.

“Hey, wait!” I call.

Sighing, he turns to me.

“What?”

“Could you...answer a few questions for us?” I request.

“Tch...sure. I have a bit of time…” He agrees hesitantly.

How long have you been locked here?” I ask.

“I think around four or five days now.”

Rhetoric - Leon said ‘around a week’. Somewhat fits...

“Do you know who put those there?” I point to the machines in front of the window.

The man shakes his head.

“I’ve seen her before. Don’t know who she is. Loud, obnoxious and pink clothing. She would’ve done well in my temple. But then again, you would have too.”

“Pink clothing…loud...obnoxious...” Shuichi murmurs.

“Did it look like she was hiding here?” I question.

He thinks for a moment - and shakes his head.

“Not that I can remember. She just kind of...walked around trying to get work done.”

Hmm….

Reaction Speed - You could look through the radio computer.

The man pulls on the handle, and walks out.

“Hey, Shuichi. Speaking of Tenko…”

“What was that about a promise earlier?”

Shuichi awkwardly smiles.

“Ah...that. I kind of...had to promise to master Neo-Aikido. I got talked into it...mostly because I didn't want to get flipped.”

I giggle a little.

“She...does seem a bit cheerful and energetic, doesn’t she?’

Shuichi laughs awkwardly.

“I...guess so.”

Reaction Speed - What was the promise *you* made then? Was it also to master Neo-Aikido?

We keep looking around the back of the church, but find nothing else of note. A few drawings on the windows, shoes that were left behind, and that’s really it.

We turn back to the radio equipment in front of the window.

“Should we inspect those?” I ask.

Shuichi nods.

“Mukuro might have something to do with it. We should investigate.”

Perception (Sight) - The first thing you should search is the radio computer. On the side, there’s a large yellow pry bar and a pair of headphones.

Physical Instrument - Like a pry bar 2.0. Kvalsund.

Perception (Hearing) - The headphones are muted.

We approach the machine, which is slightly quivering with soft electricity.

“This one’s already turned on…” Shuichi steps slightly closer.

Esprit De Corps - Careful. This one has alarm systems and the like, probably.

Interfacing - The Rehm *Prefect*. RC7024.

“It’s different from the one in the bookstore…” I trace my finger on it.

Shuichi nods.

“The other was a Rehm Civic, if I recall correctly.”

Interfacing - In the mainframe, there’s already a filament memory labelled ‘LOG(Nov-Dec)’ inserted.

I press play.

Perception (Hearing) - The speaker comes to life again. On the other side, the same high-pitched voice pipes up.

“Rise and Shine, Ursine!”

“This is the East-Insulindian Repeater Station! Fortress accident - to make sure - this is the personal log, yes?” 

“Yup!”

“Good. Please repeat the password used to unlock this memory!”

Inland Empire - The gears turn in Shuichi’s head.

Esprit De Corps - He slightly pulls on his cap - he may have an answer.

“You got anything, Shuichi?” I ask.

He nods awkwardly.

“I-I think I do. I can try.”

He leans in, taking in a deep breath.

Empathy - It literally hurts him to say this - but he has to.

“Ihavealittlebetaboytoy” He murmurs quickly.

Rhetoric (Success) - I have a little beta boy toy. What a password.

“Sorry, Fortress Accident. That didn't come through clearly! Could you try that one more time?” The voice requests.

Kinship - Uh...could you say it for him?

“Shu-Shuichi, you don’t have to say it if you don’t want to…”

“I could do it…” I suggest.

He looks at me, and then steps back a bit.

I take a deep breath.

“I have a little beta boy toy.”

“Thank you! The filament has been unlocked. Please press the PRINT button!”

“Goodbye! Bearwell!” The voice on the other end slowly dissolves into white noise.

Perception (Sight) - The filament memory starts glowing.

“I don’t know if I want to find out, but how did you know that password, Shuichi?” I turn around.

“If it’s okay for you to tell me…”

“U-Uh...I think I know who uses this mainframe.”

“Really?! Who is it?”

“Miu Iruma. Ultimate Inventor.” He says.

Empathy - A tinge of…*fear*.

Encyclopedia (Success) - Oh. That explains the password.

Who is she?

Encyclopedia - Miu Iruma the Ultimate Inventor - is...strange, to say the least. She’s loud and confident of her abilities - which *are* good. Her use of coarse language and insults usually get her ignored - which drops the ‘confident’ and ‘loud’ parts of her personality and turns her into a trembling toddler.

Encyclopedia - She's also pretty smart when it comes to inventions - but really stupid when it comes to literally anything else.

Inland Empire - Maybe when Shuichi isn't around.

What inventions have she made so far? Just...out of curiosity.

Encyclopedia - Wow, didn't shut me down. She's usually made inventions that allow someone to do something while *sleeping*.

That's pretty interesting! Anything else?

Encyclopedia - Eh...there are some of the more pointless ones - like the one that punches you whenever you tell a crappy dirty joke.

I-Wait, what?

Encyclopedia - Oh, how about the eye-drop contacts?

Those...sound pretty useful, actually.

Encyclopedia - She herself deems it a failure, though.

Wait, why?!

She sounds...weird.

Encyclopedia - She *is* weird.

"How did you know?" I ask.

"I heard a few weeks back that she was being moved to Martinaise. And the MI Electrical building just...made it click."

Logic - MI Electrical - Miu Iruma Electrical.

“How’d you know that’s her password?” I question.

“U-Um…” He coughs.

Kinship - Please don’t press him.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me.”

“No, it’s uh...she forced me to go on a date with her - then she said her new password for all her electronics were…”

He coughs again.

“I have a little beta boy toy.”

Suggestion - Hey! That’s not fair!

Suggestion (Success) - “Shuichi, after this, I’m forcing you to go on a date with me.” 

“Uh…” He pulls down his cap, blushing a little.

“I-I just wanna make sure you have a good experience on a date - and not have that stuck on your mind!” I start sweating a little.

Could you guys stop doing *that*?! It make this so awkward! 

Suggestion - Sorry, can't help it.

“I mean...okay…”

Empathy - He is *very* unsure of this turn of events.

Shuichi presses the print button on the keyboard, and a text document is printed out.

Logic - Someone’s journal.

I peek over Shuichi’s shoulder, as he starts reading.

Perception (Sight) - The first entry was made on the tenth of November.

This is…

‘Seriously - they asked the LEGENDARY Ultimate Inventor, Miu Iruma to investigate this mess? This is bullshit! Fuck you, Hope’s Peak for sending me out to the boonies to clear up your mess! Well...whatever. Kaeidiot begged me to do it, so I guess I have to…’

Twelfth of November

‘I have to record this too? Jesus christ, gimme a break. I arrived at the stupid church. Place is literally just empty. I’ll set up the electricity myself tomorrow.’

Fifteenth of November

‘Great. I already fucking hate this place. Had to walk my lady balls off back and forth a hundred times to wire this shitty place up for the radio computer. Why do I need to do this?! It wasn’t my fucking fault they lost the backup! Set up my personal antenna too. Too fucking bad I forgot it only connects to porn frequencies...heard this place is full of meds - I need to find those...’

Seventeenth of November

‘Picked up the shittiest antenna I’ve ever seen in my life. ESKER series or something. Problem is - the fucking thing is impossible to set up. I’ll have to get someone in here.’

Eighteenth of November

‘How the fuck did you lose your data like that?! It’s literally impossible. The backup wasn’t even connected to the front. This mess got me stuck in this shitty ass place for one or two more months?! The fuck you mean I’m lying?! Get that bullshit outta here, skank.’

Authority - LANGUAGE! IS THAT HOW YOU TALK TO A POLICE OFFICER, YOU PIECE OF PAPER?!

Composure - Calm down, you dolt.

Empathy - I don’t sense *that* much anger in this piece of paper. She was probably trying to relieve stress? Or maybe it’s a verbal tic.

Twentieth of November

‘These fucking scabs are really starting to piss me off! Can you believe it? One of them stopped me while I was tryna grab my groceries, and he fuckin’ went “Listen here, you cum dumpster!”. All I did was ask for them to fuck off! What’s your problem?! Though, I did sort of like it...’

She *liked* it?!

Empathy - That seems like a perfectly reasonable answer to “Fuck off” - at least in my opnion.

Logic - We can have opinions?!

Twenty-Third of November

‘I can’t fuckin’ believe it, but the *LEGENDARY* Ultimate Inventor does it again! I found a pillar of just *pure silence* in the church. Everytime I shove the microphone further into this absolutely slutty wet fucking hole, the less I can record. I don’t fuckin’ care if this isn’t related - I wanna investigate this hole.’

“She’s talking about...that…” Shuichi turns around, looking towards the right.

I look behind us, towards the water basins.

Perception (Sight) - No ripples…

First of December

‘People are just blasting music outside now. Didn't want to focus on my work anyways. One of the girls came in - got too spooked and pussied out. I was able to filter out the music at least, so I can investigate this weird fucking shit.’

Second of December

‘Okay, huge fucking problem. After I went out to buy my...things, I find that the church door is fucking padlocked! What the fuck?! Someone locked me out of my own research. I can still update this from my Monopad, but still. What the fuck. Assholes.”

Fourth of December

‘Someone tried to access the radiocomputer in that old fucking basement. Fucking hell. Is that fatass still in there? Creep. New person that took over the store’s a huge bitch though - flat-chested bitch stopped me from going in cause of a stupid ass ‘curse’.’

“That was us, wasn’t it?” I ask.

Shuichi nods.

“Let’s keep reading.”

Interfacing - At least you learned things.

Fifth of December

‘New aux cable. I’ll check if I can get back in somehow. Maybe one of those assholes will open up my radio computer. Like absolute idiots.’

Perception (Hearing) - Your reading is soon interrupted by the sound of the church door opening.

“Who the fuck is in here right now?!” A loud female voice booms from the entrance.

A woman stomps into the church, looking towards the radio computer.

“Oh, look! It’s *Shyhara* and *Kaeidiot*!” She snorts, as her face turns a deep shade of red.

Perception (Sight) - Tall. Long, pink-blond hair with two ahoges. She’s wearing a sailor uniform - pink, and a skirt. You can see her cleavage - and a black choker. She’s also wearing white socks, with gold rings attached to them and heeled boots.

Empathy - Yikes - she’s pretty angry.

“What the *fuck* were you guys thinking when you fucking padlocked my church door? Were you guys too busy fucking like rabbits in here or something?!” She asks.

“What?! No! Why would you assume something like that?!” I ask.

“Well, give me a good fucking reason why, then.” She demands, arms on her hip.

“M-Miu, we weren’t the ones who padlocked the door.” Shuichi says, trying to convince the woman.

She ignores us, walking towards the radio computer.

Interfacing - She looks at the keyboard, starts typing rapidly and restarts the computer.

“At least you didn't fuck up my computer.” She turns around.

“What do you two want?”

“Miu, were you someone working on ‘The Writer’ project by any chance?” Shuichi asks.

She shakes her head.

“Nope. But someone on their team fucked up, so I had to come by to help.” She grits her teeth.

“Have you seen anyone suspicious around here, Miu? Maybe a girl with short hair and freckles?” I question.

“What the hell? No.”

Drama - Tis the truth, Madame. She hast not seen anyone like her.

“Well, what are you doing here?”

“I’m doing research, Kaeidiot.”

“Could you...stop doing that?”

“I dunno, can you stop having dumpy tits?” She mocks.

Authority - “Who the hell do you think you are?! With your cow udders!” You point at her.

“Eeek! Hey! Don’t just...shout like that!” She starts sweating.

Empathy - She can dish it out, but can’t take it, huh.

“W-Well, what kind of research are you doing?” Shuichi asks.

“I’m sure you’d like to know, huh?” She winks.

“No, he wouldn’t.” I cross my arms.

“Alright, fine! I’m looking for a two millimeter hole in the world.”

Conceptualization - A two millimeter hole in the world. Sounds…*interesting*.

“A hole in the world…” Shuichi places a finger under his chin.

“What does that entail, exactly?” Shuichi asks.

“*Exactly*! What *does* it entail?! Isn’t it interesting?! I’m trying to create something to measure *nothingness*. Too fucking bad because I can’t think of anything. How do you measure *nothing*?! It’s so stupid!”

Logic (Success) - This is easy.

“You measure it by collecting data with the surroundings - which *do* exist.” I explain.

Miu’s eyes widen for a moment.

“Y-You’re not too shabby, Kaede!” She says in realization.

“I think I know how to deal with this! You’re a fucking genius!”

“Hahaha! Not as good as the gorgeous girl genius, MIU FUCKING IRUMA though!” She laughs.

Well, at least I could help her out a bit…

“I’m gonna get this shit done. Give me a minute.”

“Wait, where do you even think this hole is?”

Miu points up.

“Probably in the rafters up there. How the fuck am I supposed to know?”

“Oh, wait! One last thing - would you be okay with Leon, Kanon and Ibuki moving in here?” I ask.

“You mean those people outside in the tent?”

“Uh...yeah.”

“Ask them to let me complete my work first and give me a week or two. Then I’ll let them in - unless they’re helping. Then I’ll let them investigate that hole all they want right now!” She starts laughing loudly.

I sigh.

Empathy - She’s leaving Kanon in the cold...this is unacceptable!

Suggestion (Success) - Maybe we could work something out, eh?

Suggestion - “After you finish your research here, you head back to Hope’s Peak, right?” I ask.

“Obfuckingously, Kaeidiot. Though I still need a week or two to finish up all of my work.”

“Maybe we could help out?” I suggest.

“The only thing you can help out with is leaving me alone, dumpy tits.” She answers.

“Well, I helped you figure out how to work out the 2mm hole!” I recall.

Empathy - Beg her to allow you to help you.

Wait, what?

Why am I begging *her* for the right to help her?

Empathy - Would you rather have Kanon outside in the cold?

...Damn it.

“Please, I’m begging you, Miu.”

“Hahaha! What about you get on your knees then, you skanky bitch?” She laughs.

Empathy (Success) - You kneel down, and bow your head.

Inland Empire - In another world, you’d be begging her to help *you*.

“Eeek….I wasn’t being serious…you can stop...”

“Please, Miu! I’m not gonna stop until you let us help you!”

“Wh-What the fuck? You’re using your bowing as a threat to help me?”

Esprit De Corps (Success) - Shuichi notices you kneeling, and decides to kneel down as well, following your lead.

Perception (Sight) - He, however, does not bow his head.

Suggestion - The Inventor likes stuff like this - I'm pretty sure. She's...turned on, I think.

“Please, Miu.”

“Y-You too, Stupidhara?” Miu plays with her hair, trying to distract herself.

“I beg you!”

“F-Fine...you can help me with something.”

Wait, it worked?

Logic - Excuse me, *what*? I wasn’t expecting anything to come of this...

“Thank you, Miu!” I smile.

“Wh-Whatever...just get up already…”

“You guys can help me get the off-site copy of the work. It’s a filament memory in the old area that Fortress Accident used.”

Logic - So Fortress Accident is the name of the Studio working on ‘The Writer’.

“You mean...the back of the bookstore?” Shuichi asks.

Miu nods.

“It’s inside the giant ice bear fridge in the building. The filament is inside the fridge. Go and get it.”

“Wait, hold on, it wasn’t...there.” I answer.

“Are you stupid?” She asks.

Reaction Speed - “There was a note there, saying that it was moved into a nearby ice cream maker…”

“A note? What kind of stupid idiot took it out?”

“Also, the ice cream maker was frozen over, so we couldn’t get the memory inside.” Shuichi recalls.

“Oh my fucking god...whatever. Just use this.” She grabs a large prybar from the side of the radio computer and throws it to me, where it drops to the ground.

I pick it up.

Item Obtained:  
182\. Kvalsund KR+2 Multi-tool. 

“It’s...heavy…” I mumble, as I pull it up and push it into my bag.

“Well, I’m gonna go get a few tools to keep tryna find this hole. You assholes go find that filament memory.”

We...get used to her insults and swearing quickly, don’t we?

Miu starts walking to the entrance of the church, and leaves.

Conceptualization - Pianist, why does art inspire you so much?

Where’s this coming from? I...suppose because it’s a way for me to see people smile - and it’s something I’m good at.

Conceptualization - Really? Most intriguing. You must be the *art cop*.

Oh no, is this another cop-o-type thing?

Conceptualization - Yes! No vapid representations or reproductions of social mores.

Uh…

Conceptualization - Quit being so indecisive, *pianist*. What are you going for here? Some kind of indecisive and *camp* aesthetic? Go art or go home. We need a bold shape.

I mean...I would rather not have another cop-o-type right now, so…

Conceptualization - Be *monotonous* and *repetitive*, then.

“We should probably go back to Leon and Ibuki.” I suggest.

Shuichi nods.

“Might as well…”

2:37 PM  
The rain continues. As we approach the tent again, we walk in, and Leon sits up immediately.

“So?! What happened there?!” He asks, hyped.

“All we found was a masked guy who was in the rafters. Apparently, he was looking around for a way out cause you guys locked him in.” I explain.

“You mean...the guy who was kneeling down in his mask and punching the ground, even though no sound came out?!” Leon yells, eyes widened.

“Oh, yeah. That’s normal, by the way.”

“Huh?!” Ibuki yells in surprise as well.

Shuichi smiles awkwardly, sweating a little. “T-There’s a 2mm hole in the church. It’s a bit too much to explain right now, so…”

Kanon shakes her head.

“See? Told you, big bro. There was an explanation. He wasn’t a ghost or anything.”

“We also found Miu in there.”

“Ugh…you mean the woman who was wearing pink?” Kanon looks away.

Empathy - “You...seem to not like her.” I comment.

“I walked into her holding...a vibrator! I didn't know what to say, so I just...walked back out.”

“I...don’t blame you for it.” Shuichi sympathizes.

“Well, she said she’s not leaving until she finishes her research.” I explain.

“Whatever. We just have to wait till she leaves, then.” Leon crosses his arms.

“We’ve promised to help her out, so she might be done soon.” 

“Alright, Shuichi! Let’s head to the bookstore!”

THOUGHT COMPLETE

One More Door

There is no way to open the supply depot door. All the other doors - they had keys. Locks that were picked. Some tools. Not this door. Too bad.

-1 Half Light.

I mean...I already knew that, didn't I?

2:47 PM

As we approach the bookstore…

“Hey, Kaede. Wait a moment…”

He leads us to the right, towards the street and turns left.

Logic - East Delta Commerce Centre - also known as the Doomed Commercial Area.

He pulls on the door, and it opens.

“We managed to come through here last time. It’s faster.”

Perception (Sight) - On the side, there’s an electronic doorbell, with numerous push buttons of companies.

Shuichi pulls open the rusted metal door, and walks into the dark basement.

2:49 PM

We approach the machine, which is buzzing.

“Ah, wait...the maker is still frosted. Kaede, you should defrost it first.” Shuichi suggests.

“How...do I do that?”

Shuichi points towards a breaker box behind us.

He looks down.

“It’s a black cable.”

I nod, and turn around, plugging out the black cable, and walk into the dead-still orange machine. I give a passing glance to the red cable, but head back to Shuichi.

I pull out the large tool from my backpack, and get ready to crack the lid open.

Physical Instrument (Success) - Ice groans. It howls under the strain of your giant Kvalsund multitool - until the lid opens.

Perception (Sight) - Darkness lies inside. You can faintly make out an object. Intricate. Foreign. Left for sub-zero beauty sleep.

Perception (Sight) - A filament memory. ‘OFF-SITE COPY’.

“We should get this back to Miu.” Shuichi suggests.

“Wait...hold on…”

I walk down the planks again, and approach the furnace.

Physical Instrument (Failed) - Something *breaks loose*. A monster. You bellow into the chimney.

The chatter of the voices stop for a moment…

But then continue again.

“Well, nevermind then…” I look away.

Shuichi simply nods. “Let’s just get back to Miu.”

3:06 PM

We approach the large church again.

How long have we been running around for? My legs are sore...

Endurance - You’re fine. At least two more hours to go, *Pianist*.

Miu hears the door opening, and turns around.

“Do you have that shitty old filament memory?”

I pull out the filament from one of the side pockets of the backpack.

She quickly grabs the filament off of me, and inserts it inside the radio computer, getting ready to close the door.

Inland Empire - Wait, no! That’s dangerous! She shouldn’t do it!

“Hey, wait! Maybe we shouldn’t…”

Miu laughs.

“I’m this close to the answer and you’re telling me to stop? Fuck *that* noise!” She slams the door shut, and presses print.

Paper starts coming out of the side of the radio computer, filling out with ink.

Interfacing - That’s...wrong. Machines shouldn’t behave like that.

Conceptualization - It’s the abyss. Staring back - at *you*.

Miu runs her hands over the printout, looking for any anomaly she can find.

“I FOUND IT! THE GREAT MIU IRUMA DID IT!”

“Huh?” I lean in closer.

She moves back to the keyboard of the computer, pulling out a small robotic hand with ten fingers out of her skirt.

She puts it on the keyboard, and tinkers with the hand, before the hand starts typing rapidly.

Perception (Hearing) - The sound of the keyboard clicking, as the hand continues typing is…*exciting*.

“HAHAHA! Nothing’s impossible for the impossibly gorgeous and beautiful genius Ultimate Inventor!” She smiles.

She turns around to face us.

“Pay *attention*, fuckheads. If you screw this up - it’s *over*.”

“Uh...” 

“Third bowl 2 cm to the left. Fourth bowl 5 cm to the right.” She points behind us.

Interfacing - Moving things around is fun. It’s calming.

“I’ll do it.” I nod.

Shuichi and I jog over to the pillar of silence.

Perception (Sight) - Measurements have been marked down around the bowls. Each chalk-drawn line representing a centimetre.

Interfacing - Oh boy, this is going to be good.

Logic - This task is an insult to your mental skills. 

I move the bowls according to Miu’s instructions, and jog back to her.

“Everything’s perfect. Now…” She looks at a pair of headphones on the side of the radio computer.

Esprit De Corps - With a sudden seriousness, she thinks: ‘What sound does nothing make? How do you listen to something that doesn’t exist?’

Logic - Let’s think about this logically. Why would nothing be terrifying, if - it’s nothing?

“How could nothing be scary if it’s nothing? You can press the unmute button, Miu.” I reassure.

She nods.

“I didn't need your ass to tell me that.” 

Authority - “Rude!”

“Eek! I-I won’t do it again!”

She turns away quickly.

She looks at the volume control on her headphones, and presses the ‘increase’ button.

Perception (Hearing) - Very loudly, the sound of moaning plays.

“Oh, crap!” Miu immediately presses the decrease button.

“Miu...what were you watching?” I look at her disapprovingly.

“Shut up!”

She looks back at the cable, and plugs it out of an antenna. She then connects it to the side of the radio computer.

Then, she clicks on ‘increase’.

Perception (Hearing) - ...The sanctuary is quiet.

“Damn it! Fucker baited me!” Miu throws the headphones on the ground.

Empathy - Despite her fear, she was still hoping *something* would happen.

“Silence just sounds like silence. I should’ve fuckin' known…” She slaps the radio computer on the side.

Inland Empire - Silence...is silence? You’re sure there’s more to it…

“Can I try? I’m sure there’s *something*.” I ask.

“You and your fucking optimism. Go ahead, Kaeidiot. Don’t get your shitty hopes up.”

Perception (Hearing) (Success) - You put the headphones on. And everything disappears.

What...happened?

Perception (Hearing) - Draped in silence. A woman stands in a library, with 15 others and her guilt. She slips - and falls through a hole.

Perception (Hearing) - Suddenly, the pressure changes.

...Huh?

Perception (Hearing) - You know the feeling. When you’re flying. When your ears pop. A subtle difference in the atmosphere. A weather change.

Perception (Hearing) - What if the sound you’re looking for - is simply too *low* for you to hear it? A musician would know this.

“We need a better sound system.” I take the headphones off.

“A better sound system? But...where...” Shuichi replies, slightly confused.

Reaction Speed - “Leon and Ibuki.” You state matter-of-factly.

“Of course!” Shuichi nods in realization.

“They probably have an absolutely *fantastic* sound system. They can help out!”

Miu shakes her head.

“As long as they help, I can live through a week or two with them. Just pull the bastards here.”

I rush out of the building, and jog over to the tent.

Perception - It’s still raining…

Logic - That’s not right…

Encyclopedia - There have been longer rains before.

“Hey, could we borrow your sound system? Miu needs to set it up - and agrees to share the church with you.” I pop into the tent.

Empathy - Kanon is inside now. We got on our knees for nothing?!

“Wait, really?!” Leon asks, surprised.

I nod.

“Woo! Ibuki is ready to rock!”

“She said she’ll still be there for a couple of weeks though. To finish up her research.”

“We’ll make do. You said you guys need a sound system, right? We’ll set it up!”

3:32 PM

“It’s all set up!” Leon shouts from across the room.

Perception (Sight) - Leon holding onto a compressor. Kanon holding a contact mic on the ground. Ibuki stands behind the mixer, with a guitar strap over her chest. Miu looks at the radio computer.

“It’s so warm! I love it…” Kanon mutters.

“Creaky, though…”

“Before we start…” Leon pauses.

“Has anyone seen Sayaka lately? I was planning on naming this place after she came by with a suggestion.”

Empathy - Oh no.

“Uh…” Shuichi looks away, pulling on his cap.

“You mean Sayaka Maizono?”

Leon nods.

“Yeah, Kaede! Didn't she head out with you?”

Volition - You’re kidding.

Logic - The rehearsals she...

You...can’t be serious.

Empathy - “Sayaka...she’s dead.” You look away, gripping your right arm.

Leon’s eyes widen, and darken as well.

“Y-You...you’re not kidding, are you?”

Ibuki looks at me as well, slightly shocked.

“S-Sayaka...is dead?”

“What about Satomi?” Leon quickly asks.

“S-She’s fine. We informed her of Sayaka’s death a few hours ago.” Shuichi looks at his Monopad.

Perception (Hearing) - The church is almost as quiet as the pillar. Miu stands at the computer, trying to come up with a solution with her inventions. Shuichi simply looks down, while Leon and Ibuki look at each other, terrified. Ibuki stands at the mixer, with the plugged auxiliary cable.

“...Will you do the honors, Kaede?” A female voice comes from behind you.

“Satomi…”

“So you guys did go through with it after all…” Satomi smiles, putting away her umbrella.

“I’m...grateful.” She starts tearing up.

“Let Kaede name it. Sayaka would want it that way.”

Leon nods.

“You’re right.”

“I agree! Kaede, pick a very special name, okay?!” Ibuki grins.

Conceptualization - The perfect name…

Inland Empire - “Danganronpa…”

Shivers - “...Elysium.”

“Elysium…” Leon nods.

“The Dolorian word for the world.” Satomi nods.

“But...Danganronpa? Where’d you get that from?” She looks towards me.

“I...I don’t know. My gut told me to say that.”

“It’s settled, then.” Satomi looks towards Leon.

“Danganronpa Elysium.”

Shivers - The wind caresses you. Reminding you - return to the mural soon.

I walk up to Miu, who’s still typing on the radio computer.

“How’s the project going?” Shuichi asks.

“We’re starting soon.” She says seriously, still looking at the radio computer.

“Turn down the volume!” She shouts back to Ibuki, who’s standing behind the mixer.

Ibuki nods, and pulls a switch down.

Miu looks away from the radio computer.

“All you fuckers ready?” Miu asks.

“Ready!” Leon shouts, holding up the compressor.

“Ibuki is always ready for some music!”

“Ready.” Kanon says, still kneeling on the ground with the contact mic in her hand.

Satomi simply nods silently.

“Go ahead, Miu.” Shuichi nods.

Inland Empire - Suddenly, your palms are sweaty.

Perception (Sight) - Shuichi moves his hand over to the gun holster, just in case.

Miu starts a countdown.

“Five.”

“Four.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

She presses a button on the side of her headphones…

Perception (Hearing) - No wind outside. No waves. No floorboards creaking. Total silence. It’s...unnatural.

Perception (Hearing) - In the silence, a hum appears. A song?

Shivers - Inside you, not the speakers or the room. A great bass sighs. It builds - and the air starts to vibrate.

W-What’s going on?

Half Light - It will devour everything.

Inland Empire - The floorboards. The glass. The streets. The people. Nothing will remain.

“Guys, what’s going on?!” Leon asks, alarmed. He steps back, looking around the church which is shaking.

“It’s getting louder!” Kanon shouts.

Perception (Sight) - The water in the bowls...they look like...they’re boiling.

In the corner of your eye, Shuichi steps back.

Esprit De Corps - Think, Shuichi, Think! Evacuation routes!

“The roof!”

The pillars of the church twist and creak.

Perception (Sight) - Cracks appear in Dolores Dei’s image. Cracks run up the wooden pillar.

Visual Calculus - It’s shaking the building’s foundation. The floor twists.

Composure - A pulse rises.

Conceptualization - It’s *beautiful*.

Composure - Just dance.

“MIU! MUTE IT!” I shout.

Miu clicks on the button on the side of her headphones, but the sound doesn’t stop.

“Fuck! Gyaru Skank, ha-”

“Yeah, I turned it off already!” She holds up the contact mic.

“Leon, the compressor!”

“I-I can’t shut it up! Th-The signal’s not in here!”

Esprit De Corps - Damn it. Is this where I die?

Logic - In the mixing desk.

Perception (Sight) - THIS IS *IT*, PIANIST! YOU DO SOMETHING NOW OR DO SOMETHING NEVER. THE VAULT OF THE ROOF TWISTS. GLASS SHATTERS NEAR THE DOOR.

“IBUKI! THE MIXER!”

Perception - And then...it stops. Totally and utterly. As if there was never a sound. Only your ears still ring. Everybody stares at Ibuki, who’s holding a cable in her hand - a three pin connector.

She gives a smile, and raises two fingers with sparkling eyes.

“I stopped it.”

“What the fuck?” Miu covers her forehead with her right hand.

“Who are you calling a gyaru skank?!” Kanon frowns at Miu.

“Heeeek! I-I didn't know your name, so…”

She sighs.

“Well, at least we lived.”

Leon nods.

“Good job, Ibuki.” He breathes a sigh of relief.

“Most of the place still seems intact.” Satomi looks around.

“You were recording that, right?” Leon asks Miu, who simply nods.

“What the *fuck* are we up against? No wonder Hope’s Peak wanted me to check this out…”

“What…*was* that?” I ask.

“I don’t fucking know, Kaede.” She shakes her head.

Shuichi places a hand over his mouth.

“Perhaps, mathematical information from the anomaly itself - presented as a waveform?”

Miu looks up.

“I don’t even know anymore. It’s possible - though that’s very technical and theoretical.”

Perception (Hearing) - Her voice seems muffled. Your ears are adjusting.

“You’re going to head back to Hope’s Peak?”

“Of course I am, Kaeidiot. Future Foundation needs to know about this. I’m not waiting a week to report this bullshit.”

“And now, I have to come up with some kind of theory to this, or else they’ll think that I’ve lost my mind.”

Inland Empire - You *have* an explanation for this. Somewhere deep inside you. No pieces yet, though.

Could we...try to come up with an explanation ourselves, then?

Logic (Success) - You don’t have to. You already have. A long time ago. About the Pale.

Wait, how?

Logic - These thoughts formed somewhere. Long forgotten. In a car, with *her*.

Inland Empire - Drunk.

“...Miu.” She turns to me.

“What the fuck is it now?”

“This 2mm hole - it’s the origin *point* of the pale.”

Shuichi turns to me in surprise.

Kinship - Wait...you...might be right.

“The...pale?” She questions.

“The swallow here - that’s how the pale starts. It’s basically…”

Kinship - The thought clicked for him too.

“Baby pale.” Shuichi finishes.

“But…” She looks up fearfully.

“But the pale isn’t here…we’re fucking hundre- no, *thousands* of kilometres from the edge of this stupid ass isola called the Insulind-”

“No.” I cut her off.

I point up.

“We are twenty metres from the *very* edge.”

Shuichi looks up.

“The pale...it’s not...nothing. It’s an *effect*.” He explains.

“A transition between this world...and whatever *that* is.” I continue.

“But then...what *is* that?” Shuichi turns to me, asking.

Logic - It’s nothing. No...it’s less than that, actually. No, wait…

“It’s *less than less than* nothing.” I clarify.

“What the fuck are you guys talking about?” She raises her right arm.

“It’s like...if this never was.” I look around.

“Then the pale…” Shuichi looks at me fearfully.

“It is...simply, *curdling milk*, ” I nod.

“Or, more accurately, a gradient.” I add.

“But...the milk hasn’t started curdling yet.” Shuichi takes note.

“Yeah! We’re all here, while that fucker…” She points upwards.

“is still there.”

“One day, it’ll grow large enough to get rid of everything here.”

Miu shakes her head.

“I did not join Hope’s Peak to deal with this fucking bullshit…” She places an arm on her hip.

“So...the pale is more like cancer...or a mould. It erupts in points *inside* the world.” Shuichi places his hand over his mouth.

“And this is one of those points.” I nod.

“The pale didn't form in the church - the church formed around the pale.” I point out.

Esprit De Corps - The cogs in Shuichi’s brain click again.

“That makes sense...as a...containment method of some sort...” He nods.

“The other six churches, then…” He mumbles to himself.

“They were burnt down - and some of them might have had something like this in them!”

Half Light - A black grain, hanging in the air…

“And...all of the failed businesses in the Doomed Commercial Area...all the *failure* in *Martinaise*...”

“Wait, you’re implying that the presence of the pale here has...influenced the outcome of events here?” Shuichi questions.

I nod.

“Yes, or at least, I think so - there’s no way all of those businesses, all of the failure and doom in Martinaise, it can’t all be a coincidence, right?”

Shuichi thinks for a moment.

“The revolution was defeated, too…” He notes.

“We should let the people still working there know about this.” Shuichi looks to me.

“Touko…”

“If we use this absolutely fucking insane theory, how long…” Miu goes silent.

“Until it starts…*swallowing*? It’s already started - with *sound*.”

“And information! That’s what caused the freaky fucking data losses!” She points.

“But...how does it start growing?” She asks, sweating a little.

“Ahh, fuck it! I’m too tired for this shit!” She shouts.

“I’m just gonna head back to my apartment and get my shit ready for tomorrow. I’ll tell Hope’s Peak that you guys helped, too.”

Esprit De Corps - She’s usually dumb enough to not understand what you’re saying - but this time, her brain is at full power. All the stuff she used to create inventions have now become the stuff to figure this theory out.

Miu grabs some of her stuff, including the filament memories and storms out the church.

Shuichi turns to me.

“Kaede, how...did you know this?” He asks.

“I-I’m not doubting you, I’m just curious why the Ultimate Pianist would think this…”

“...I’ve had this thought before.”

“...Well...it’s still a theory. We can’t be sure.”

Shuichi nods.

“Hopefully we’re wrong.”

“Though…” He turns back to Leon and Ibuki, who are whispering to each other.

Perception - They were eavesdropping earlier.

“Do we leave them here?”

“They’re the only thing holding *reality itself* together here, Shuichi. We have to.”

Perception (Hearing) - “Ibuki needs time to think. I’m gonna head out for a bit, okay?” She winks.

Leon nods. “Take your time, Ibuki.”

“After life, death…” Shuichi mumbles, staring at the cracked window.

“Huh?”

“After death, life again,”

“After the world, the pale; and after the pale- the world again.”

Esprit De Corps - The RCM's old motto. 

“Shuichi?” I wave my hand back and forth in front of him, looking at him worriedly.

“Oh, sorry. I was...thinking about something.”

“It’s fine.” 

“You said you went on a date with Miu before, right?” I ask.

“What about it?”

Electrochemistry - “What’s your relationship with her, even?”

“We’re friends, I suppose.” He looks at the mirror.

Suggestion - “Maybe more?”

He shakes his head, blushing a little.

“I think Kiibo has that handled for me. Miu just kind of saw me as a...how would she put it?” He chuckles.

“A fun side dessert.”

Leon looks up at us from across the room.

“Hey, you two want to dance to something?” He asks, holding up a small tape.

Perception (Sight) - ‘The Smallest Church in Saint-Saëns’

“We got the mixer, and we’re opening this place up tomorrow - dubious as the legality of it may be...” Kanon sits down on a side of the church.

Esprit De Corps - Total bro move by Leon.

“...Sure.” I answer.

3:46 PM

Shuichi awkwardly holds onto my hand.

“W-When I said I was willing, this isn’t what I thought of…” Shuichi scratches the side of his head, blushing.

Kinship - Don’t worry - I’ll make the dance easier by...somewhat syncing your thoughts - you guys will do it *with help*, but still better than embarrassing yourselves completely with an unplanned duo dance.

Esprit De Corps - I can do it too. What about...waltz?

Kinship - No, no. Tango.

“Well, too bad. I only have one tape, and it’s way too sad to be anything but a duo dance.” Leon smiles, giving a thumbs up.

"I'll let you guys practice for a bit, yeah? Get your bearings."

Shuichi sighs to himself.

"Hey, you can hear them too, right?" I ask Shuichi.

"Y-What do you mean?"

"You know. The voices in your head that tell you what to do."

He looks away, nodding.

"Let's just listen to them! They'll give us the perfect moves, won't they? And you have that one guy that can share our thoughts silently? We could use him too!"

“I’m putting it in, alright?” Leon laughs to himself.

Esprit De Corps - He knows it's not funny. He's just trying to lighten the mood.

I grip both of Shuichi's hands.

“Go ahead.”

He inserts the tape.

[Perception (Hearing) - The organ starts playing a simple melancholic tune. It echoes in the hallway. A lone, growly voice joins in.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh75iZ7wsDU)

Perception (Hearing) - Telling you of the tiniest church. 

Inland Empire - Mega sad. This is *real shit*.

Composure (Failed) - You just can’t stay...like this.

Savoir Faire - This beat makes it a lot more difficult than it’s supposed to be - but your musicality can handle that, right?

Conceptualization (Success) - You bet.

Total darkness.

Though it once was larger.

Esprit De Corps - 8 Count?

Kinship - What? No. Get that crappy educational stuff out of here.

Kinship - Let's start left walk...

Here, it begins.

How the rill rests there...

Kinship - Progressive side step...

W-Where am I? Again?

Esprit De Corps - Hey! You're having too much fun! Let me take over for a bit.

Kinship - Fine.

Down through, the misty pale there.

I-I want to go back.

Endurance - With your eyes still closed, the first thing you feel - is Shuichi’s hands holding on to yours, guiding you along the steps. You - following his movements - and him, following your rhythm.

Endurance - Left foot walk...into rock turn...pretty basic.

I slowly open my eyes.

Perception (Sight) - The man looks at you with his grayish eyes.

Savoir Faire - Even with the clumsy movement between the two of you - you manage to execute a few beginner techniques that look absolutely *ballin'*.

Rhetoric - He means that literally and metaphorically, by the way.

Encyclopedia - A strange mix. Tango to an incredibly slow and *sad* song. I don't blame you for messing up.

Composure - Without pity or fear.

Volition - Free from self-awareness. No deliberation, only execution.

Perception (Sight) - Leon and Kanon watch, slightly surprised that we haven't tripped.

Encyclopedia - Too bad there’s no *fancy* moves - where’s the underarm turns? Choreography is pretty good though.

Esprit De Corps - *I'm sorry*, I can't fit a *waltz* move into a *tango*.

Composure - You and Shuichi are far too embarrassed and flustered to think of any of the cool moves.

Shivers (Success) - On the coast of the Martinaise Inlet, a small church - built three hundred-eighty years ago by settlers. Guarding against the anomaly at its centre.

Esprit De Corps - Outside swivel!

Shivers - The wind enters the church through the window, patting you on the head. 

Wh-What are you? What is this strange...feeling I keep getting?

Shivers - I AM LA REVACHOLIÈ.

Shivers - I AM THE CITY.

The...city?

Shivers - I AM A SIMPLE FRAGMENT OF THE WORLD SPIRIT. THE BOTTOM OF MY AIR - RED. IN THE MORNING, THE INDUSTRIAL DUST FALLS ON LEAVES. I AM THE FORCE THAT SHAKES THE LEAVES AND MAKES IT FALL ON YOU.

Shivers - I’VE SEEN YOU, PIANIST. I’VE SEEN YOU WITH HER - AND I’VE SEEN YOU WITHOUT HER. I’VE SEEN YOU WITH HIM. I MAY SOON SEE YOU WITHOUT HIM.

Wh-What do you mean you might see me without him soon?

Shivers - IN THE WATERFRONT. HE TRUSTS YOU.

H-Huh?

Shivers - A chill falls down your spine.

How...are you talking to me?

Shivers - MY VOICE - THERMOMETERS AND BAROMETERS ARE WHERE IT IS NOTED. YOU CAN FEEL ME EVERYWHERE. IN YOUR NOSTRILS - ON YOUR GOOSEBUMPS, IN YOUR LUNGS - IN YOUR ORGANS. EVERYWHERE.

B-But why are you talking to *me*?

Shivers - YOU ARE A HOPE’S PEAK ACADEMY STUDENT. BUT WHEN YOU WEAR THAT INSIGNIA - THE ONE OF THE REVACHOL CITIZENS MILITIA - YOU WEAR MY SOUL.

Shivers - YOU MOVE THROUGH MY STREETS FREELY. WHETHER BY CAR - MOTOR CARRIAGE OR FOOT. YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE HIDDEN PLACES. YOU CIRCULATE.

Shivers - I NEED YOU. YOU CAN KEEP ME ON THIS EARTH, PIANIST. PLEASE. I BEG YOU. BE VIGILANT. 

Shivers - I LOVE YOU.

Inland Empire - Why do we have to keep saving the world? Why? There’s no good part of it to save…

Volition - No. We have friends. We have family. We ca-

Inland Empire - Do we even have those?

Volition - We have Shuichi.

Inland Empire - You only say that because you are absolutely *lovestruck* with the man, for no reason whatsoever. We've only known him for two or three days. *No* relationship develops that fast.

Volition - Hey! We have plenty more, even if that’s the case! Maki. Kaito. Our parents. Our friends in Hope’s Peak. Sayaka.

Inland Empire - And you couldn’t even save that last one.

Inland Empire - You’re all alone now.

Inland Empire - And none of this matters at all.

Perception (Hearing) - The door suddenly opens behind you, as the song comes to an end.

“Is this a sad song or something?” Ibuki asks.

Inland Empire - If Sayaka was still alive...

Esprit De Corps - "WAIT DON’T TELL ME IBUKI’S SHORT APPEARANCE IS COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO HER OTHER THAN HER TALENT AND EXCLUDES HER PERSONALITY AND CHARACT-"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100,000 words! Thanks for sticking with me so long.
> 
> In hindsight, I probably overdid it with the Pale too...
> 
> and the dance (this was supposed to be a part of Kaede's imagination but I couldn't bring myself to mess with her like that)
> 
> I am so sorry to any professional duet dancers here - cause damn is it hard to write it and read it afterwards
> 
> holy crap i messed up bad


	41. Extra: White Day Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I...want to make a white chocolate cake - for Kaede.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. Once again - similar to the other extra chapter, full of tropes.
> 
> With all the Pale and murder talk - thought I should make a White Day special, too!
> 
> I died more on the inside when writing and reading this as compared to the Valentine's one, for some reason - so fair warning. This might be...slightly cringy, to say the least.
> 
> With that all being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

March 13, 2021

11:03 AM

Research - Ultimate Confectioner. If you believe this is a good idea, then sure, but…

Insight - Ms Ando’s confections are known to be highly addictive, similar to nicotine. This might turn bad…

Ingenuity - Perhaps we could bake something ourselves? Or maybe order it from Teruteru?

You...think Teruteru would be a better option? I already crossed him out, because of that one incident with Class 77-B...

Detective’s Hunch - Oh, no. Don’t go to him unless you want something *spicy* to happen between you and Kaede.

I-I would rather not, thank you very much.

Homme Fatale - You’re so not cool.

Ingenuity - Maybe she’ll put something *other* than brainwashing for you. Maybe an aphrodisiac, or what abo-

Rationality - That’s way too far, light bulb.

Ingenuity - Okay, shady man in an alley, I *dare* you to tell me that the woman isn’t manipulative.

Rationality - That may be true, but that doesn’t mean she’ll manipulate us specifically.

I’m sorry, but could you guys keep it down? I need to think.

Deduction - Sincerest apologies. My conclusion did lead to this, after all.

No, it’s fine...

Duality - You may have caused the issue, but these guys worsened it. 

Ingenuity - Who, me? I just come up with *ideas*.

Amour Propre - Shh! Let the man think.

I let out a loud sigh.

“What’s wrong, Sidekick?” A male voice breaks me out of the conversation.

I look up.

“Oh, hey there, Kaito.”

Sanity - Just a regular visit from Kaito. Quite normal, actually. 

“Why the gloomy face? You can tell me!” He smiles.

Bond - He already has two answers in his head. One - an unsolved case, or two…

Kinship - Kaede.

“It’s just...tomorrow's White Day.”

“Ah, crap! If I don’t get Maki anything…” He suddenly panics.

I crack a small smile, looking back at the small notebook.

<strike>Teruteru Hanamura</strike>

<strike>Ruruka Ando</strike>

Kirumi Tojo

Detective’s Hunch - All of these will go wrong in some way...

And we’re supposed to have a case to solve soon, too…

I grab the pen on the table, and cross out Ruruka’s name.

“I’m going to try to find Kirumi.” I mumble to Kaito, as I stand up from the cafeteria table.

Detective’s Hunch - Try the dorms. Wait, or maybe the lab?

“See ya, Sidekick! I’ll stay here and wait for Maki!”

11:07 AM

“Kirumi?” I knock on the door to Kirumi’s room, praying that she’s inside.

“Who is it?” A voice comes from the other end.

Analyzation - Busy with something.

Amour Propre - Oh, thank god...

“It’s me, Shuichi! I...have a request.”

“Hold on, give me a moment…” The voice trails off.

Detection - Something sounds...off. The voice is slightly ragged and tired. Kirumi doesn’t often have that happen...

Patience - We can wait.

About two minutes later, the door opens.

“Apologies, Shuichi. How can I help you?” She bows.

Is that...Kokichi, knocked out behind her? Ah, is that why she’s holding the chancla?

Deduction - Sounds about right.

Ingenuity - Maybe she’s trying to murder him!

Insight - That’s...wrong.

Duality - Nothing to worry about. He probably started bothering her, and kept calling her ‘Mom’ or something. Normal behaviour for these two.

Deduction - She knocked him out, and dragged him into her room to take care of him. Usual behaviour for the Ultimate Maid.

It’s probably bad that we’ve internalised this as normal behaviour, isn’t it?

Sanity - Yes. But as long as you’re not internalising cosmic eldritch horrors, jumping into the Pale, or worrying over Kaede, it should be fine.

“Ah, Kirumi - could I make a request?”

She nods lightly.

“Fulfilling your desire is my desire. What do you require assistance with?”

“I...want to make a white chocolate cake - for Kaede.”

She looks at me, with a finger under her chin.

“I assume this is because Kaede gave you something for Valentine’s Day?” She asks.

I nod.

“I hope you understand that I am not going to bake this cake for you. If you wish to give a gift of the utmost importance - it must be something that comes from your heart.” Kirumi states.

“I...I understand.”

“Well, I have a small kitchen inside. We could probably use that…”

11:12 AM

“Alright. The milk and chocolate are heated.”

“The next step - is to whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt…”

11:37 AM

“Alright! That’s the cake done!” I jump in celebration, putting it into the oven.

“We’re not done yet.” Kirumi pulls me back to reality.

12:08 PM

“Shuichi, your cake hasn’t cooled enough yet.” Kirumi says, seeing me take it out of the wire rack.

“A-Ah, really?”

Research - I’m sorry. I thought it was fifteen minutes…

“Let’s just start working on the Meringue and Ganache first.”

“Do you know how to separate egg whites from the yolk, Shuichi?” 

Patience - Even if we didn't, we would stay to learn.

12:26 PM

“Cubed butter...then the white chocolate…” I mumble, as I mix the meringue together.

Kirumi nods.

“We should be able to finish the preparation in another thirty minutes.”

1:32 PM

“Thanks, Kirumi. I don’t think I could’ve done it without you.” I smile, sitting down and waiting for the cake to chill.

She shakes her head.

“You did all of this by yourself. You could’ve gotten the assistance from anywhere else.”

Patience - Well, I suppose we were incredibly…*patient*. We did mess up a few times, but Kirumi was there to help!

“You can’t say that.” I shake my head.

“I almost dropped the cake at one point because I was so excited…”

She smiles.

“Well, I did that for *Kaede*. Not you.”

“H-Hey!”

She laughs to herself.

“It was a joke, Shuichi. A joke. Don’t worry. I won’t tell her about this either.”

1:47 PM

She sends me out of the room, with a large cake box.

“Make sure you refrigerate it, alright?”

Recollection - Oh, you had two other gifts for her, didn't you?

Yeah, the headphones and the teddy bear.

Rationality - This is probably way past *three* times the gift Kaede gave you…

I start walking back to my dorm room in Hope’s Peak.

1:53 PM

“I don’t really come here often, do I?” I look around the slightly dusty dorm room, trying to find the mini fridge I bought a few days ago.

Deduction - No, you don’t.

Duality - You spend most of your time at your Uncle’s.

I spot it in a small corner of the room, and kneel down with the box in hand.

I slowly push it in, and close the door.

Kinship - She’ll be so giddy to see it tomorrow!

Detective’s Hunch - Something’s just went wrong…

Huh?

Detective’s Hunch - Wait, it’s actually more beneficial if I don’t tell you what it is. Nevermind, then.

H-Hey! What’s this about?

7:03 PM

‘Hey, Kaede. Do you have CCA at Hope’s Peak tomorrow?’

‘Nope. What’s up?’

‘Could we meet up somewhere?’

Kinship - You bet.

‘Sure! Any place you have in mind?’

‘...No, not really.’

‘Hey, what about you come over to my house?! We haven’t played a duet on *my* piano yet, and I really wanna hear us play one there!’

Homme Fatale - Did a *girl* just invite you over?! You have to take this one, you sissy.

‘A-Ah, but…’

‘Alright! See you tomorrow!’

Bond - It’s just like her to do that…

Kinship - You can almost feel her smile radiating through the phone.

March 14, 2021

6:03 AM

As I walk into the dining room, my Uncle approaches me.

“Hey, Shuichi. Thanks for helping out. Thought maybe you’d want to give some girls something.” He places a small, rectangular box onto the table, with a ribbon.

“Oh, thanks, Uncle!”

“Though I already had something to give to them…”

He smiles.

“Look at you, all grown up now and making your own decisions. Well, whoever it is, they have some amazing luck!” My aunt chimes in.

8:02 AM

“Oh no.” I mumble to myself repeatedly, holding onto the cake box’s leather strap..

How did I talk to myself into this?! I’m so scared...

Amour Propre - Calm down! You can do this!

I walk out of Hope’s Peak, and start heading to Kaede’s house.

8:11 AM

I take a few deep breaths in front of the door, before knocking on it.

“Coming!” A voice comes from inside.

The door opens.

Behind it - A blonde girl with long hair and plum eyes.

Kinship - Like...Kaede.

“Wait, you’re Kaede’s friend, aren’t you?” The girl starts inspecting me, rubbing her chin.

“Oh, you’re her twin, right?” I ask.

She nods.

“She already told you about me? Yeah. You can come on in. Kaede’s still eating.”

“Ah, alright…”

I awkwardly shuffle my way into the house, and decide to head opposite to the room I’m hearing the laughing and talking in.

A living room? There’s a piano, a couch and a TV here…

I put the box down, and sit down on the piano bench, picking up the scores on the piano.

‘Clair De Lune - Debussy’

Detective’s Hunch - That one brings back bad memories.

‘Prelude, Op. 28, No. 15 - Chopin’

Wow, there are a lot of pieces here…

“So this is where you went!” Kaede smiles.

“First room I checked. Knew you’d try to avoid the noise.”

I laugh nervously.

“Happy White Day, Kaede.” I hold up the cake box.

Her eyes widen slightly.

Kinship - I knew you’d get me *something*, but…

“Isn’t this...a bit large?” She asks, gently taking it from my hand.

“You think so?”

She opens up the cake, and the creamy, but soft smell hits her.

“It smells nice!” She smiles brightly.

“Hold on, give me a minute.”

She leaves the room for a bit, before coming back with a plate, a fork and a plastic cake knife.

Research - A slight bit childish, but it’ll work.

She hums a happy song, while cutting it open.

Carefully, she uses the knife to place it on the plate, and takes a small bite.

Insight - Judging by her reaction, it’s probably slightly stale…

“It’s...really good!” She smiles.

Duality - No, it wasn’t.

“Y-You don’t have to force yourself to eat it, if you don’t want to…”

“O-Oh no, really! It’s good…”

Kinship - She doesn’t want you to feel like it was a waste of time baking her that.

Amour Propre - And that’s the thing that went wrong.

Research - The fridge was probably turned off. The moisture of the sugar in the white chocolate and the milk wasn’t enough to hold the texture together...

Detective’s Hunch - But does it matter? 

Bond - It’s still edible, after all. She’s okay with it. 

“A-Ah, right. I brought you some other stuff, too…” I pull out the headphones, chocolate box and teddy bear.

“W-Why did you buy so much stuff?” She asks, surprised.

“I don’t know…”

“Look, Shuichi! All you needed was the chocolate! No need for the rest of that stuff.” She assures.

Kinship - She *does* want them, but doesn’t want you to feel that your relationship should be based on gifts.

“R-Really?”

“Yeah!” She insists.

I laugh awkwardly to myself, again.

“W-Well, sorry…”

“Wait, I mea-”

Kinship - She’s at a loss for words. She can’t help but feel slightly bad for rejecting your gifts.

“I-It’s alright. I’ll take them.”

“Well...do you want to play something, then?” I suggest, trying to change the subject.

She nods happily, opening up the piano lid.

“Sure! What do we play this time...” She flips through the pages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> There are some skills that are slightly confusing here in their use, but they'll probably be explained a bit further into the fic *hint hint*.
> 
> The past week has been a blast so far - though the next few updates will probably be at least a bit slower. I'll likely go back to updating every three or four days.


	42. The Pale Latitude Compressor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What if...we don’t climb the ladder? What if we just...teleport?”

4:03 PM

“That was fun!” I pump my fists.

“I-I guess…” Shuichi nods.

“You guys should probably get going, right? Y’all had a case, or somethin’.” Kanon asks.

“She’s right. We’ve spent too much time here already.” Shuichi agrees.

“Let’s get going, then!”

We say our goodbyes to the group of musicians, before we leave the church.

“The rain...it’s not stopping…” I look up.

“So much rain in late fall…” Shuichi looks up as well.

Perception (Sight) - Your eyes scan the area around you. The trees in this desolate wasteland, the brown river, the fishing village, the boardwalk, the power box on the wall next to the mural...

Shivers - And the mural.

Shivers (Success) - Suddenly, there’s a sigh, carried on the molecules around you, moving. Like that of someone emptying their lungs.

Where does it go?

Shivers - In through the collapsed roof. Down some concrete stairs, down to the basement. The beach below, the tunnels, and a whisper away.

Shivers - THEY’RE DOWN THERE.

“I...think Mukuro is down here. Below that building…” I point towards the large building with ‘MI’ painted on the side.

Shuichi looks at the building for a short moment, thinking.

“Any particular reason why?” He asks.

“The ci-...we’ve looked everywhere else.”

“...” He looks at the building.

“But...how do we get in? The doors collapsed, didn't they? We…”

Perception (Sight) - A rusty ladder sits next to the mural. Rungs missing.

Savoir Faire - Finally! It’s my time to shine!

I...don’t think so.

“Maybe there’s another way in? Let’s go check it out!”

Inland Empire - There’s always another way. If all else fails - below.

I run up to the mural, looking around.

Perception (Sight) - Nothing else around *here*...

My eyes turn back to the ladder, which Shuichi is looking at as well.

“This isn’t going to work…” He shakes his head.

Perception (Sight) - Doesn’t look good.

Visual Calculus - Distance between the *remaining* rungs here are...rather wide. You have to use the mounting brackets to get up.

Perception (Sight) - Problem is, they seem corroded.

Endurance - And the peeling rust would be...razor-sharp.

Savoir Faire - The first rung is going to be tough to reach, too. It’s...like, three metres up from the ground, and you’re - what, 1.6 metres tall?

Visual Calculus - Nah, more like 1.7 metres. Or 1.65-ish.

Savoir Faire - And that’s excluding the fact that the roof is collapsing - along with the wind in the rain. Dismounting from this ladder is going to be difficult. 

“Shuichi, do you think you could climb that ladder?”

He looks at me, slightly panicked.

“U-Uh, I don’t...think so…”

Savoir Faire - Maybe you shouldn’t climb this ladder? Instead, try something *subtler*.

Conceptualization - What if you were to…*re-conceptualize* climbing the ladder?

Inland Empire - ASTRAL PROJECTION! Be *open-minded* about this.

“What if...we don’t climb the ladder? What if we just...teleport?”

Shuichi looks at me in slight surprise.

“I...don’t think that teleportation has been quite...invented, yet.”

“C’mon, where’s your adventurous spirit, Shuichi?!”

He looks away.

“This...I mean...you can try...”

Savoir Faire (Failed) - On second thought, maybe teleportation isn’t a thing.

Logic - Wait, what? Why the sudden change in train of thought?

Perception - Cause we’re squeezing our buttocks together - and it’s not working.

“Well...nevermind, then.”

Shuichi gives a slight sigh of relief.

4:07 PM

We walk off the boardwalk, and decide to check if there are any entrances from under the building.

We start walking towards where we saw Gonta and Kiibo, where the underside of the boardwalk is.

“Hey, Shuichi. When we get this case done, what happens?” I ask.

“We go back to Hope’s Peak to our regular classes. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

Esprit De Corps - It’s what he would like to believe, but there’s a slight inkling of doubt.

Kinship - It’s probably not going to be that easy…

“Hey, Kaede. Could we stay friends? After all this is over?” He asks.

I smile.

Suggestion - “What about a bit more?”

Perception (Sight) - A drainage pipe on your right, beneath the rotting wooden boards of the boardwalk.

Visual Calculus - Perhaps, this door is a basement access? An alternative path into the building?

I peek inside the pipe, trying to avoid thinking of the last conversation.

Shuichi looks over my shoulder a bit.

Perception (Sight) - The pipe is sleek with rain. As your eyes adjust, you see trash - crumpled up newspapers, cigarette butts, and some graffiti.

“Could we get in through this pipe, you think?” I ask.

“It’s unlikely, but possible. I...don’t think we should go in here - the pipe suggests that an entrance to a basement is somewhere around here. Let’s look around for that first.”

Shuichi pushes some reeds aside, looking around as I pull out of the pipe.

“It’s right here?” He asks himself.

He points to a rusted metal double door, to the right of the pipe.

Perception (Sight) - My bad. It was obscured by the reeds.

Physical Instrument - PULL THEM APART!

“Do you think we could get it open?” I ask.

“Let’s try it…” Shuichi nods.

Physical Instrument (Failed) - You and Shuichi push against the door with all of your might, but your efforts aren’t quite synchronized. The door refuses to open.

Shuichi starts panting a bit.

“We...should probably find another way in.”

THOUGHT COMPLETE

A Poor Girl

The oldest sibling. She looks around the area. A few dead bodies here and there. Couldn’t care less. She jumps to another building, looking behind her to check for any men. None. Walking to the cafe, a flicker of hope appears. The gym teacher that always went ‘You have an amazing body!’.

‘Why don’t you try gymnastics, lovely little lady?’

+2 Savoir Faire  
+2 Physical Instrument  
-1 Logic  
-1 Composure

A-Akane…

Logic - Well, she helped you out here. Which do you want to try first?

“Shuichi, let’s head back to the ladder again.”

4:13 PM

He looks up worriedly.

“Are you sure about this? You...might get injured…”

Savoir Faire (Success) - No, you won’t.

Savoir Faire - All you need to do, is close your eyes - and *concentrate*.

Savoir Faire - Darkness enfolds you. You feel the distance between the bench and the first rung of the ladder. All you need to do is…

Savoir Faire - *ZOOT*! *ZAP*! *POW!* *BWAK!* *CRASH!* *BANG!* It’s like magic. You feel yourself disappear, your atoms fading out of existence…

Wait, what?

Savoir Faire - AND *BAM!* You’re on the roof. Easy peasy. You have mastered the art of physical displacement.

“You actually managed to do it!” Shuichi yells from the bottom, excitedly.

“You climbed the ladder!”

So I didn't *actually* teleport. Makes sense.

Logic - You probably just climbed it with your eyes closed.

Reaction Speed - “You...didn't look up while I was climbing, right?”

“Uh…”

“You saw?!”

Perception (Hearing) - The wind at the top of the building howls loudly. It blows away the detective’s voice. Very faintly, you hear…

“Y-Yeah, sorry. B-But be careful! Don’t go adventuring without me, please! I’ll wait down at the basement access - try to find a way that you can unlock the door from the inside!”

Authority - Scold him! He sh-

“Alright! I’ll try to open the door from the inside!”

I start walking around the collapsed roof, where the central support seems completely destroyed.

Perception (Sight) - Artillery fire.

The concrete ground is full of cracks, and I carefully maneuver my way to the staircase leading further into the building - and I finally reach the inside of the building.

Across from the staircase, I see the window with bars on it.

Perception (Sight) - The glass is covered in grime and dust. You can barely see out.

I see another flight of stairs leading down to the basement.

Visual Calculus - That’s probably where we can let Shuichi in.

I walk down the flight, and see a huge collapse of rocks.

Perception (Sight) - The collapse nearly sealed the basement. You can barely squeeze in.

How did it collapse in the first place?!

Interfacing - Take your flashlight out. Get ready.

I look through my backpack, and flick the flashlight on. Squeezing through the gap, I find a large basement, with tiled floors.

Perception (Sight) - The first thing you see is antiquated office furniture. Quite old - maybe a few years?

Inland Empire - Brought down and forgotten...so long ago.

In front of a brick wall, I spot a metal shelf, dusty and unused.

Next to that, a metal cart, with old, dusty office files…

And after that, a shelf of panes of glass…

Interfacing - Not just glass - computer components.

Computer components?

Interfacing - Yes. Filament memories. With inlaid nervous systems. Too bad none of these are in Japan.

Interfacing - So this is all that remains of MI’s R&D.

Looks like it...the rest of the building is empty...

Perception (Hearing) - Suddenly, a quiet knocking sound, on a metal door.

I turn around, and spot what look like the double doors from the outside.

“Shuichi? You there?” I ask, while approaching the door.

“Yes, I’m here!”

I push the doors open.

Physical Instrument (Success) - Much easier from *this* side. The doors open with a loud metalish *creak*.

“I...hope no one heard that…”

“You’re wiping that from your memory later, by the way.” I pout.

“I-I’ll try…”

“Shuichi, you ready?” I ask.

He nods, with his pistol in hand.

Hand/Eye Coordination - Loaded, but with the safety on, I think.

“Let’s try to be quiet - and investigate these passages.”

Savoir Faire - Not running is a good way to do that.

“The wall collapsed here...we can go through the tunnels…” Shuichi notes.

Perception (Sight) - Looks like an explosion that blew through the wall…

We move from the room into the large tunnel.

Perception (Sight) - Wait! Right in front of you, in the beam of the flashlight...the crevice here...

“There’s a hidden room in here, Shuichi…”

We walk into the small room.

Perception (Smell) - Stale fabric, and dust. 

Perception (Sight) - On your right, a table with a chair. On your left, a bunk bed. Behind you, a wooden shelf full of cobwebs..

Inland Empire - On the bed, a poster lies.

I pick the poster up.

‘Join the Ultimate Despair - and revolt against Hope’s Peak!’

“It looks like something out of The Revolution…” Shuichi comments.

“What’s with all these secret bunkers? We found a weapon cache earlier, too…”

“I...suppose no one’s gone through the cleaning out of the old bunkers quite yet…”

Savoir Faire - A good hiding place - for someone who was up to no good.

“Could someone have stopped in here?” I ask.

“I...think so. As always, it’s highly unlikely...the Ultimate Despair formed quite recently - a few years back. Maybe this is one of their hiding spots.”

Looking up, I notice a small slit, giving a view of the coast.

Visual Calculus - Could this have been the killer’s hideout? This narrow window - the point of origin? The shot that killed the girl?

Hand/Eye Coordination - It *does* look like an embrasure.

What’s...that?

Hand/Eye Coordination - A slit made for shooting out of.

I peek out the slit slightly.

Perception (Hearing) - The night shudders in the cold - as the rain falls.

Perception (Sight) - “I...can’t see the Whirling-In-Rags from here…”

“No one could get a clear view, then…” Shuichi remarks.

“This wasn’t the point of origin.” He shakes his head.

“I...think we’re done here, then. Right?” I ask.

He nods, and we leave the small bunker.

We walk into the large tunnels.

Perception (Sight) - Wait! Boot prints in the sand. They seem normal - a bit deep, though.

“Shuichi, footprints…” I kneel down.

“They aren’t the Odd Sole…”

Shuichi nods.

“I don’t think this is related. Let’s keep moving.”

Perception (Hearing) - Something in the air...an unnatural buzzing.

Perception (Sight) - The tunnel collapsed on the left side. Head right.

I point towards the right tunnel.

“The left side collapsed. Let’s go through here.”

Shuichi nods, and we start walking past the wooden frames of the tunnels.

Perception (Sight) - A bit of the evening light slips through the wooden boards.

Perception (Hearing) - As you walk deeper into the tunnel, the buzzing sound gets louder…

Pain Threshold - There it is again -- like a swarm of hornets, just *buzzing* under your scalp. A strange tingling - one you can almost smell.

“Sh-Shuichi, do you feel that?” I ask, with a slight headache.

He shakes his head.

“No - but I think something’s wrong...we should be careful…”

“Actually…” Shuichi looks up.

“We...should plan our next step carefully.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

Perception (Hearing) - He lowers his voice, to a low whisper.

“When we detain a credible suspect, who knows that DICE and Hope’s Peak will do? We’ll set in motion some events - events we have no control over.”

Logic - You will upset the balance of power in Martinaise. The deadlock between the Union and Hope’s Peak will destabilize.

Volition - Keep calm. Go over the whole situation in detail.

“If we solve this case - the situation in this city will get tense for everyone…”

Reaction Speed - And no one will be able to do their job.

“H-How bad would things get?”

“Well...we’re not responsible for what we can’t predict. Even though I don’t think the entire city will be destroyed overnight…” He places a finger under his chin.

Esprit De Corps - Let’s…*try* not to worry too much, he thinks.

Logic - If you can’t predict it - you couldn’t have done anything.

“What...do you think is waiting for us there?” I ask.

“I...think I see a cavern…” He whispers.

“Maybe more cellars? We’ve been careful enough - I think we still have the element of surprise…”

“Or...maybe not.” He looks back at his gun.

“But...once we head in, Kaede - there’s no turning back.” He looks at me.

“A-Alright…”

We walk slightly further into the cave…

4:20 PM

Endurance - W-We can’t move…

Perception (Hearing) - Wh-What is that sound?!

Y-You guys are too loud…

Perception (Hearing) - It’s like a thousand radio stations are being blasted into your head all at once! A female voice comes through the static.

“I’m sorry…but you guys following me pissed me off.” A shadowy figure with headphones stands by the machine.

Pain Threshold - As she says the word ‘off’, you feel a spike in agony. It’s like...the entire radio frequency range is screaming directly into your ears…

I cover my ears quickly, trying to stop the sound.

Pain Threshold - No, buddy, that’s not going to help. You can’t shield yourself from this - it’s an entirely new experience.

Volition - Don’t focus on the pain. Focus on the job - tell her she’s under arrest.

“W-What’s happening?!” Shuichi shouts.

“It’s a pale latitude compressor. Despairful, isn’t it?”

Logic - The explosion of static...it’s the ULAN frequency!

Logic - Blasted from that pale emitter - that one DICE member mentioned.

Perception (Hearing) - A loud hissing noise replays itself in your head. Fuzzy...in all the fuzz, 136841...37891303…

You guys are...so loud...

“The ULAN frequency…” I quietly whisper.

“Well, of course you know what it is.” The figure holds onto a strap that’s over her shoulder.

I turn back to Shuichi.

“A-Are...you a-alright…?”

Perception (Sight) - He’s doubled over, with eyes closed. He’s still alive and breathing.

“I-I’m still fine. Ri-Right behind you.”

“The things that make the pale more manageable. Focus a radio signal grid on pale - relays to repeater stations. People lose their minds in a few years, you know.”

“Industrial-strength paraboloid. Forces dimensions on things that don’t even *have* them.”

“You’re hearing some numbers, aren’t you? Upper limits of the prime number station.”

Rhetoric - They like telling you about the machine. Keep them talking - and look for an opportunity to break loose.

“H-How did you get this thing?!” I yell through the fuzz.

“I built it myself.” She looks towards the machine.

“That’s...it’s patented, isn’t it? It’s...illegal…” Shuichi notes.

“Well, we’re beyond that now, aren’t we? So how’s the pain? Doesn’t it just fill you with lovely *despair*?! If only Junko was here…” She blushes.

Suggestion - Another obsession.

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you two. Once I shut the machine down - the pain ends - but you two will take a while to steady yourselves.”

Perception (Hearing) - 342455797….4464544829…

“Please...shut it...off…” I barely manage to get out.

“Fine. I’ll dial it down a bit.” She looks at the machine, stepping a bit out of the shadows.

Empathy - A form of...sympathy. Though there’s less of that than...something else that caused them to do it.

Pain Threshold - Well, it doesn’t *feel* much better, but you can form sentences now. Thinking doesn’t hurt as much now.

Perception (Sight) - They’re carrying a gun. A double-barrelled front-loader. Not the murder weapon…

“How...did you know we were coming?” Shuichi asks.

“I heard you in the passages. It’s an echo chamber in here.” She looks around.

I reach out, trying to reach the compressor to destroy it.

Pain Threshold (Failed) - The pain intensifies, as you reach out into the pale chaos. The white noise becomes even more overwhelming.

“It’s best not to move, you know.” The figure mutters.

Empathy - A bit of worry in the voice.

“Look, I know this isn’t turning good for you - so let’s wrap this up. You have a tribunal to attend.”

Reaction Speed - The tribunal?!

“You know...about the tribunal? What...the mercenaries are planning?”

She chuckles a bit.

“Mmhmm...I listened to their frequency for a bit. I would try to save them, but I...don’t work well with people.”

Empathy - She’s serious. That’s the only reason she isn’t going back.

“You two should watch out for yourselves. You seem to have...a bit of a habit of walking into traps.”

“They’re...planning to set up a trap for us?”

The figure nods.

“I’m just guessing here - but you didn't know that a third mercenary showed up in town, did you?”

Hand/Eye Coordination - Three mercenaries - armed to the teeth and hungry for vengeance. And all you have - is a single service pistol. Not looking good, pianist.

“Did...did you shoot Natsumi?”

“No.” The figure answers.

“Who said I did? Was it Kokichi? No, he wouldn’t have done that - he would’ve just messed with you guys…”

“It was Junko!”

She shakes her head, chuckling a bit.

“I see. So that’s how it is.”

“Though I didn't tell her I was on the coast. How’d you find *that* out?”

“DICE told us...the second-in-command…”

“He was the one who liked me the most, too. Haha…”

She chuckles to herself again.

Volition - A dull despair creeps into her voice.

“You...you were the one who called me the ‘human can opener’, right?”

“I did. And I see why others call you that, now.”

Empathy - That lets them forgive DICE - a little.

“W-Why haven’t you killed us yet?” Shuichi asks.

“Because Junko told me not to.”

“T-Then…”

“As I’ve said - I didn't do it. Ask your questions.”

Rhetoric - A strong moral compass. She still wants the opportunity to make a case for herself.

“Do you...have an alibi?”

“Did DICE not tell you what happened? I was with them the entire night, basically.”

“They said...you were gone for about fifteen minutes.”

She frowns.

“Well, that isn’t enough time to kill Natsumi, is it?”

“W-We found that there was barely enough time, through a secret entrance.” Shuichi answers.

“Curious. How?”

“A secret way from the ground floor to the roof in the Whirling…”

“Don’t know it. Also - the shot couldn’t have come from the roof. Or we would’ve all heard it downstairs.”

“She...has a point, there. We doubted it, too.” Shuichi nods a bit in the pain.

Suggestion - That didn't go super well. You gotta lay something better.

“You...you’re part of the Ultimate Despair, aren’t you?”

“So, you made Nagito talk, huh?” She shakes her head.

“No...we found our own way in…”

“Well, what now? You’re going to send me to the Future Foundation? *You*?”

Wait...

“Let’s...take a step back, for a moment.”

“Could you...tell us what you did Sunday night? We...want your version.”

She eyes us warily.

“Alright. I was with DICE, deciding what to do next. Then, Junko comes down all pale and shaking.”

“What did she say?”

“She asked me to come upstairs. I went up to our room - found the girl she liked dead and on the ground. Couldn’t get authorities involved, so…”

“You made it look...like she was hanged…”

“Junko said it was weird...that you already had a plan ready when you got there…”

“What? No. Faking the lynching was *her* idea.”

“Her...idea?”

“Yeah. Cold blood - didn't surprise me, to be honest. Regular Junko stuff.”

“But...weren’t you worried that the lynching might lead to…” Shuichi stops, unable to finish the sentence.

“War? Thought crossed my mind - but nothing more than Junko matters to me anymore.”

“If...you didn't kill her, why...hide?”

“I saw *you* come into town. I wasn’t about to stick around for a questioning by a Future Foundation agent - especially one from the *6th Division*.”

Reaction Speed - So that’s what she was scared to tell Kokichi...

“Th-The 6th Division?”

Shuichi asks, slightly nervous.

“What do you mean...the 6th Division?”

The figure simply nods.

Perception (Hearing) - “K-Kaede...are you serious?” You hear, through the white noise.

Pain Threshold - It’s especially bad suddenly. Felt like a vein exploded.

“Who...how do you know this?”

“Everyone in Jamrock knows it. The cops - the criminals. ‘That one girl with blond hair who just solves everything by herself’. You think I’m holed up in here with the pale compressor for nothing?”

Logic - If she knows *that*, she must know your real name too, correct?

“Tell me, what’s my name? If you know...*that* about me.”

“Kaede Akamatsu.” She replies quickly.

“6th Division agent.”

Volition - So she knows your name. That doesn’t mean you’re on the take - or anything like that. Criminals make up bogeyman stories about cops all the time.

Logic - All of this just means you’re effective - criminals know you and they’re scared of you.

“Future Foundation? They’re...dangerous, right?”

The woman narrows her eyes.

“A joke or a threat? I can’t quite tell…”

“I...I’m sorry, I’m supposed to know, but...I lost my memory.”

“Yeah...sure.”

Drama - She doesn’t believe you.

“I’m sure Juzo himself will explain it all to you sooner or later anyways.”

Shivers - A man in a fur jacket, with a muscle shirt and black pants walks through the hallways of the Future Foundation. Approaching a door, he knocks, greeting the 1st Division Head.

Shivers - “We have thought about your offer. And we believe the best course of action is to leave the decision to Kaede Akamatsu.”

Shivers - The man nods, bowing a bit and leaving the room. The pain comes back slowly…

“What did you do...to these people?”

“I’m part of the Ultimate Despair. Future Foundation hunts down Despair. That’s all there is to it.”

Rhetoric - Wait, one thing. Possibly small, but - she said *you* rolled into town. Singular or plural?

“When...I went into town, was anyone with me?”

“Nope. Not at all.”

Esprit De Corps - Satellite-Officer Jean Vicquemare looks out of a window grimly.

Esprit De Corps - “Those kids...are they going to be alright?”

Esprit De Corps - “If you’re that worried, we could check on them.” Patrol Officer Judith Minot answers.

Esprit De Corps - “...Call Heidelstam. He’ll give us a ride.”

“Did you know...about the bunker...down there?”

“Oh, yeah. Slept there for a bit. Took a break in there.” Her voice trails off - as the white noise continues playing.

Savoir Faire - Keep calm...breathe in...after the pain recedes, it’s a little clearer…

“I...can’t take it anymore...just...go!” I shout.

“Well...best of luck to you two. I’ll leave. Goodbye - and good luck.”

The woman turns the machine down, and runs past us.


	43. The Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I unwind the strap, and open the journal up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter and more boring chapter - the next chapter will probably be a bit more insane.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter.

4:24 PM

Rhetoric - So what do we do now?

Logic - Shut it! I’m thinking…

Conceptualization - Your plans never work, do they?

Logic - Shh!

“I’m sorry, Shuichi...the pain was too much…”

He shakes his head.

“I-It’s fine. I don’t think she did it, anyways.”

“What makes you say that?”

“As she’s said - there’s no way she shot from the roof. Fifteen minutes isn’t enough to get far.”

Volition - Bullet probably came from the coast - she didn't do it. Calm down - you didn't give up the real murderer, probably.

Shuichi points to a tent in the back of the cave.

“Let’s go investigate Mukuro’s tent first. We can talk later.”

Looking around, I notice a large amount of wooden frames, and white on the ground.

Looking out towards the left, I notice dark water.

Inland Empire - There is no escape.

“Isn’t this where the brown water comes from?”

Shuichi nods.

“Looks like it…”

Perception (Sight) - As you turn around to the tent, you notice a half-eaten burger on the ground. 

“She’s gotten fast food for herself…” I comment.

“The nearest chain is quite a while away, though…” Shuichi notes, writing something down into his notebook.

“Or maybe I’m forgetting something…?”

We walk up to the red tent, and look inside.

Perception (Sight) - Old...but well-maintained, it seems.

Perception (Sight) - A rolled-up sleeping bag, some books and a small lamp.

I shine the flashlight around the books, looking through the magazines.

“It’s all...magazines about the Ultimate Despair…” Shuichi remarks.

Perception (Sight) - Wait! One of the books doesn’t have images on the cover - it’s a leather notebook.

“There’s...a notebook in here…” I pick it up, and open it up.

Perception - A thick journal. The cover is worn - like someone used to carry it around in their back pocket.

Perception - It’s made of full-grain leather - nothing else from what you can tell.

Empathy - This was important to her - while it was still hers.

I unwind the strap, and open the journal up.

Perception (Sight) - About two thirds of the pages have been filled.

Interfacing - The handwriting is of someone who writes quickly - and confidently. But...perhaps *too* confidently - many phrases have been crossed out.

Empathy - She sits there, flustered and writing - considering what her sister thinks of her.

I continue flipping through the pages.

Interfacing (Success) - First, logistical notes - written down in code. Contact information, directions.

Perception (Hearing) - “We could probably get Alter Ego to figure this out for us…” Shuichi murmurs to himself.

He’s mentioned that before, hasn’t he?

Encyclopedia - Yup. Supposedly a secret AI program - created by Chihiro Fujisaki.

Interfacing - Second, diagrams of technology - the recent ones pertain to the ‘Latitude Compressor’ - sketches, calculations of distance as well as density…

I continue to flip through the pages, reading intently.

Interfacing - Third, short observations of people and places. Probably a way to pass the time. Attempts to sort through difficult questions as well - few passages with a *ton* of questions in them.

Authority - Staff issues. Tough on leadership - no wonder she organized for DICE.

Did she write anything the day Natsumi died?

Interfacing - No, but one a few days later.

Interfacing - November 28th: ‘I might’ve messed up. I’m bad at this...well, as long as Junko is happy…’

Anything about the Future Foundation?

Interfacing - Name isn’t mentioned as far as you can tell.

Logic - You only see a man named Juzo - someone she mentioned earlier.

Interfacing - December 1st and 3rd.

Interfacing - December 1: ‘Not good. Juzo’s pupil is here - investigating the lynching. But...if she sees me - I have a feeling that she’ll just put a bullet in my head. Well...ever since I got that station call - I’ve been looking over my shoulder constantly already. What does this change?’

Reaction Speed - She’s a fugitive, then?

Inland Empire - Wait, were you *supposed* to find her - even apart from the investigation, then? On this Juzo’s request? To...kill her? No, you wouldn’t do something like this. This must be a mistake.

This...is a coincidence, right? There’s...no way. I don’t even have a gun…

Inland Empire - The thought steadies your nerves.

Perception - The journal stops shaking in your hand.

Interfacing - December 3rd: ‘Three days now - I’ve been holed up here. Don’t know when I’ll be ratted out - I should probably prepare. I got the compressor ready, and a double barrel. Hope I don’t have to use it. If I do - and Kaede finds this - please pass this to my sister.’

Rhetoric - “She wasn’t planning on using the gun on us at all…”

“What...do you mean?” Shuichi questions.

“The gun was for herself. In case something went wrong…”

“Y-You mean…” He starts sweating, and stops himself from saying the next few words.

Empathy - He sees a bit too much of himself, there. Before he met Kaito. Before he met Maki. Before he met you.

Interfacing - The last entry was written today. December 5th. It reads: ‘Even when I leave here, what do I do? Stay on the run? I...I’d be okay with anything if it makes Junko happy, but...that first move will be difficult to make. Man...I was really looking forward to winning this game.’

Shuichi taps on the page lightly.

“...She was framed…”

Esprit De Corps - That would be a first - or a fourth, at this point…

“Shuichi, what’s the 6th Division?”

Empathy - He’s a slight bit hesitant to tell you, but decides to release all the information.

“...The division of the Future Foundation that exterminates *all* Remnants of Despair.”

“They were created to police and investigate crimes - but the head started following the 2nd Division’s roles as well - military and peacekeeping.”

“Problem is - the 6th Division is known for taking it way too far. Interrogating with enhanced techniques like waterboarding - leaving things out of their reports to make themselves look better, and…”

“Sending assassins?” I ask.

He nods.

“But…”

Perception (Sight) - He looks you in the eye for a moment.

“I don’t think you’re one of them. Maybe you can ask someone from the Future Foundation later to be sure?”

Drama - He truly does not believe that you are. Perhaps he shouldn’t be so trusting…

Volition - His trust is well placed. *You* are not.

“Who...do you think killed Natsumi, then?” I ask.

“Maybe...Junko? It’s possible that she tried to steer us away from her.”

“But...no one heard the shot.”

Shuichi places his hand over his mouth.

“Well…we should head back to the Whirling for now. We have a lot of business there right now.”

“Alright. Let’s get going, Shuichi.”

4:49 PM

As we’re leaving the tunnel…

Now is the time, Pianist.

Time for...what?

First, the spirits. Grab the bottle - and uncork it. Unleash the other-world.

...I still can’t get over the fact that I’m talking to my necktie…

As Shuichi moves on ahead, I take the medicinal spirits out of a side pocket of the backpack and uncork it slowly.

Perception (Hearing) - The bottle opens with a strange, mysterious hiss.

Perception (Sight) - The fumes rise from the mouth - crisp as the northern winds.

Shivers - Howling - warmth crawls under your skin.

Now, take me off.

I mean...alright…

I pull on the tie - undoing the knot. It sits in my hand, frail.

Now, put me in the bottle.

But...why?

Physical Instrument - Throw it.

Inland Empire - Put it in the bottle.

I’m not going to let you down. I’ll see you later, Pianist.

The tie dissolves into the liquid.

Inland Empire - Cleansed by the blue spirit-fire - the fabric looks new.

What’s next?

Inland Empire - The tie floats in the liquid, unearthly.

...Tie?

Inland Empire - Silence.

It’s gone…

I put the bottle into the side pocket again after corking it.

Item Obtained!

999\. Spirit Bomb

“Kaede? Are you alright?” I see Shuichi peeking out.

Endurance - He walked on ahead, and got worried when he saw that you weren’t there with him.

“S-Sorry! I was looking at my Monopad.”

“It’s fine. Let’s head out.”

4:53 PM

Shuichi and I walk through the basement, and finally reach the metal double doors that lead outside.

"You took off your tie?" He questions.

I nod.

"I felt it was getting in the way."

“The rain finally stopped.” Shuichi looks up.

“Yeah…”

“We should go see Maki and Kaito first, shouldn’t we?” I ask.

“They’re probably at the Whirling by now. But let’s check the fishing village anyways.”

5:02 PM

Pain Threshold (Failed) - Your legs! They hurt...

We walk into the building, and see Gonta and Kiibo, designing a trap.

“Oh, it's Kaede. How are you two doing?" Kiibo asks.

Gonta looks at the phasmid trap, turning it around.

“What do we do about Monaca?” I ask, sitting down on the ground.

Kinship - Are we sure about this? The tribunal is starting soon... 

“U-Uh, Kaede, I don’t think we can stay here for long…”

“We can spare a minute or two, right? I ask.”

“S-Sure.” He sits down as well.

Logic (Failed) - "Maybe we could...give Gonta a reason to leave?"

"Wait, no...that wouldn't work..."

Suggestion (Success) - "Or...maybe...we could get her *bored* of them?" I ask myself.

Shuichi looks at me, slightly surprised.

"I mean...we need to find the *cause* first, don't we? What's making her manipulate them in the first place?"

"Ugh! The case is hurting my brain enough already..." I scratch my head in slight frustration.

"W-Well, nevermind, then. We can talk about this another time." Kiibo presses his fingertips together.

"Can we stay here for a while? I need a slight break..." I mutter, sweating a little.

“Hey, Shuichi. Could I ask you about...reality?”

He looks at me, slightly confused.

“I mean, sure. Go ahead.”

“What...is the Revolution? And the Tragedy?” I inquire.

“The Revolution…” He places a finger under his chin.

“There was a communist uprising - earlier this century. Maybe around...1940? A lot of people died - but the Coalition won in the end.”

“And the Coalition are the people who set up the RCM and special administrative region thing, right?”

He nods.

“There was a lot of damage, too. You saw the ground in the waterfront - those were probably caused during the Revolution.”

“The Tragedy - on the other hand, is an uprising against Hope’s Peak - in Japan. Caused by the Ultimate Despair. They brainwashed Class 77-B and most of the Reserve Course students. Of course - they got turned back. We don’t know how. The Reserve Course students though - some of them are still...possibly affected. Which is why some believe there are Remnants.”

Hm…

“Well, I think that’s all for now. Let’s get going to the Whirling!”

THOUGHT COMPLETE

100 Million Yen OOPArts

_Yasuhiro Hagakure. The clairvoyant who’s a 100% correct - 30% of the time. Comedic relief? Serious fortune teller? Or the scammer of a lifetime? No one really knows. What people do know - is the *mafia* is after him - specifically, the Kuzuryu clan. What a mess *he’s* been caught up in. But he knows - that at the end of it all, everyone’s going to have a happy ending. Well, maybe. It’s a 30% chance._

+1 Drama  
+1 Inland Empire  
+1 Shivers  
-1 Composure  
-1 Logic

5:12 PM

Esprit De Corps (Success) - “And why are *you* here?” The satellite officer turns to the Lieutenant double-yefreitor in the green RCM jacket.

Esprit De Corps - “Look, I have a bad feeling about this. As in - fully geared mercenaries bad, with T-500 Armor.” The lieutenant looks at his 9mm pistol.

Esprit De Corps - Sunrise, Parabellum. There might not *be* a sunrise for me tomorrow.

Esprit De Corps - “Hang on tight! We still have about one or two more hours.” The civilian consultant pushes on the pedal, and speeds through the 8/81 in Jamrock.

5:13 PM

Esprit De Corps (Failed) - Opposite of that, in another motor carriage - past DICE’s Industrial Harbour, the purple-haired detective and bespectacled lieutenant drive through the streets.

Esprit De Corps - “Sorry for having to make you do this.” The detective crosses her arms.

Esprit De Corps - The lieutenant simply looks on the road.

Esprit De Corps - “It’s fine. So where were we?”

5:23 PM

We approach the Whirling-In-Rags, and walk in.

I see Kaito and Maki sitting down at one of the tables and eating, while Byakuya stands at the counter. 

Perception (Hearing) - DICE is still in the mess hall, being as loud as always.

“So, did you catch her?” Kaito asks.

I shake my head.

“She got away.”

“How?”

“She used a pale latitude compressor.” Shuichi explains.

“It paralysed both me and Kaede - and when she left, she gave us a tip about the tribunal.”

“What did she tell you?”

“A third one showed up in town.”

Maki looks away for a moment.

“How much time do we have?”

“We don’t know. Maybe an hour or two? Maybe sooner.” I look out the windows.

“But...why didn't she just kill both of you?” Maki asks.

“We...don’t know that either. She just left. We’re pretty sure she didn't do it either…” Shuichi answers.

Maki looks towards the stairs for a moment.

Esprit De Corps - Is this really alright? I have nothing to fight with…

“Don’t worry, Maki Roll! I’m sure this’ll all end well, won’t it?” Kaito smiles.

“Alright! Shuichi and I will order our food - and we’ll see what we can do!” I pump my fists.

5:25 PM

I approach Byakuya.

“So...I got a new bird for you - to replace the Skua one.” I place it on the table.

“Sorry…”

Byakuya simply looks away, sneering.

“What are you ordering? This doesn’t take away the bill for tonight, either.”

“Oh, right! Here’s tonight’s bill.” I pull out my wallet, taking out two thousand yen.

He grabs it, slightly surprised.

“Wow. You’re learning, Musician. I’m so proud.”

Empathy - Ever so slightly, a sense of *gratitude*. She’s learning.

“So. What are you having?”

5:28 PM

Perception (Hearing) - “Well, let’s get going! We still have some Union work to do.” You hear the second-in-command yell a bit.

Perception (Sight) - The whole of DICE seems to agree, as they all start to stand up from their seats.

Inland Empire - Stop. Now. It is time.

Time? For what?

Inland Empire - Crisis. Death. You feel it in your pink soul.

Inland Empire - The black and white keys. The notes only get more shivery - more shrill.

It’s the tribunal, isn’t it? What can I do?

Inland Empire - Your friend has prepared you for this - at the great cost of himself. Make sure you have him in your hand when *shit goes south*.

Perception (Hearing) - You hear what sounds like an enthusiastic cheer, coming from the side pocket of your backpack.

“Something’s wrong.” I warn.

“What is?” Maki questions.

Shuichi nods.

“I feel it too.” His hand gravitates to the pistol.


	44. The Tribunal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “C-Can we talk it through with them for a bit? Maybe we can stop them…”

5:21 PM

DICE walks out the door, and Shuichi and I stare out the windows.

“Hey, Shuichi? Before anything goes crazy - what are we going to call Sayaka’s case?”

He turns to me.

“You’re asking that *now*?”

I nod.

“Well...do we have any ideas?”

He shakes his head.

“Not on my end.”

Conceptualization (Success) - “What about...No Truce With the Furies?”

“I...think that might be a bit too cryptic. Let’s just go with something simple.” Shuichi looks back out the window.

“What about...the name you went for with the club? Danganronpa Elysium…”

“That could work too!” I smile.

I look out the window as well, looking for any sign of someone else.

“Shuichi - could you pass me your pistol?” Maki asks.

He turns back to us again.

“I-I mean, I don’t mind, but…”

Maki smiles.

“You can trust me. It’s fine.”

Esprit De Corps - If that wasn't obvious already.

Shuichi nods silently, taking the pistol out of his holster and holding it out to Maki on its side.

“The safety’s on, but please be careful...”

“If it wasn’t, I’d be scolding you.” Maki inspects the gun, being careful to not accidentally aim it at us.

“P220…” 

Kaito shakes his head a slight bit.

“Are we sure that we *have* to get into a fight?”

“I...I think we might be able to talk them out, but it’s going to be difficult.” I answer.

Suggestion - You bet.

Shuichi quickly hushes us, looking out the window.

Perception (Hearing) - “So, you bastards are DICE, huh.” You can barely hear Fuyuhiko’s voice - the door is open with a slight crack.

Logic - It’s closing soon. You should get ready.

I take out the spirits from the side pocket, and stick the turned off flashlight into my backpack.

Inland Empire - Don’t forget the lighter.

“Byakuya!” I whisper urgently.

“Kaede, what are you doing?” Maki asks.

Byakuya turns to me, frowning and pushing his glasses up.

“What is it?”

“Do you have a lighter? Or something like that?”

His eyes widen a bit in surprise.

“Didn't expect you to be a smoker. Even though I shouldn’t be surprised - with all the drinking.…” He crouches down under the counter, picking up a small metallic lighter.

Empathy - A slight bit of annoyance and irritation in his voice - though less than before.

“Here you go. You can keep it - my treat.” He smirks.

“Thanks.”

I turn around, looking at the spirits in my right hand.

Inland Empire - Not yet. When *shit goes south*. Shit is still north here.

Volition - Sometimes you say the weirdest stuff.

Rhetoric - Actually, he does it basically all the time.

“I’m ready.” I nod to Shuichi.

He looks at me in slight confusion.

“We need to get going. Now.” Maki points outside.

Perception (Sight) - Towards where DICE and three people are arguing.

5:24 PM

“Put the gun down. We need to talk this through calmly, alright?” The man in the red afro crosses his arms.

Composure - Calms him - makes him feel in control.

“Shut the fuck up - and answer me!” Fuyuhiko shouts.

Perception (Sight) - Holding a pistol.

Hand/Eye Coordination - A Russian Baikal IZH-79. Slightly lower firepower than what we expected.

Empathy - Anger and disbelief.

“Kill or be killed, huh. Well, it’s eye for an eye too.” A girl with glasses grips onto something on her back.

Empathy - Her voice...it’s...emotionless...

Perception (Sight) - Tall. Black uniform - white hair. On her back - a dark sheath, carrying something heavy.

Encyclopedia - Peko Pekoyama. Ultimate Swordswoman. The weapon on her back is a bamboo sword - nothing to worry about there.

Inland Empire - Definitely something to worry about there.

“This is a misunderstanding!” The brown-haired girl shouts back.

“Come to your senses! You’re not thinking straight.”

“Easy.” The second-in-command pats the girl’s back.

“Let me handle this. We can talk this out, right?” He turns to the three others.

“Hey, hey. I came here expecting to have to help with something, not get into an argument and fight.”

Perception (Sight) - A man in a black suit and blue tie - tipping a white fedora slightly.

Encyclopedia - Koichi Kizakura. Ultimate Scout - now the head of the third division of the Future Foundation.

Authority - He’s supposed to be leading Fuyuhiko and Peko - but he’s a bit too whimsical for that.

“That must be the third ‘mercenary’…” Shuichi comments.

Hand/Eye Coordination - The least dangerous of them all. He’s probably the most armed, however.

Suggestion - He’s also the easiest to convince.

“We’re out of time…”

“Do we have a plan?” I ask.

Maki nods.

“We have to intervene. The moment I see one of them start pointing their guns, I disarm them.”

“It turns into a firefight - I’ll take out Fuyuhiko first. You guys take cover in the Whirling.”

Logic - Sound strategy - he’s the leader.

“C-Can we talk it through with them for a bit? Maybe we can stop them…”

“Kaede - you do the talking. I’ll sit by close - and out of sight.” She points up.

Visual Calculus - Towards the balcony.

“I’ll follow Kaede in - just in case something goes wrong.”

“Kaito, you stay in here - call the RCM desk.” Shuichi puts his phone into Kaito’s hand.

“W-What’s the number?” He asks.

Encyclopedia - “8-100-2.”

“Good luck. Don’t get yourselves killed!” Maki yells.

“B-But...Sidekick…” Kaito hesitantly looks away.

Shuichi looks up, and nods.

“We won’t.”

“Kaede, we’ll leave the talking to you! I’ll stay in here in case something goes wrong.” Kaito smiles, giving a thumbs up.

“Alright! Let’s do this!” I pull open the door fully, and walk out.

5:27 PM

We rush out of the building, and into the plaza.

“Stop!” I yell.

“No one’s killing anyone today! Put the guns down!”

Perception (Sight) - The man in the white fedora notices you.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - His hand slightly reaches behind him, but he instantly rethinks the decision and decides not to do anything.

Perception (Sight) - Fuyuhiko gives a slight nod to the woman with the bamboo sword.

Perception - Suddenly, the blue medicinal spirit in your hand seems to pulsate. It feels…enticing…

End game, right? Light me on fire - and throw me in his face, Pianist.

Rhetoric - Wait. It’s a good thing you have an anthropomorphic petrol bomb in your right hand right now - really, it is. But...let’s *try* to soften them up first? Present an argument.

Composure - I’m barely keeping you together here, pianist. If you talk to him, he’ll rattle *you*. Be careful.

Empathy - No, please...peace - it worked this far. Start with the first idea you have.

I look towards the man in the fedora.

“You...came in from out of town, right?”

He nods.

“What about it, Kaede Akamatsu?”

He takes a canteen out of his back pocket, drinking from it a slight bit.

“Koichi, you bastard…” Fuyuhiko clenches his fist.

“Hey there, keep a level-head. Cause we’re gonna need one to deal with her.” He points to me.

“To deal with...me?”

Kinship - Shuichi's unsure as well. What do they know about you that he doesn't? 

He nods, smiling.

Volition - Easy. Easy now…

“Listen! They didn't do it!”

“Oh, yeah? Who did, then?!” Fuyuhiko asks.

“It was someone *else* - someone who isn’t here right now!”

“How convenient…” Peko brushes a bit of hair to the side.

Reaction Speed - Her fingers twitch. Draw reflex. She’s about to draw her sword.

“She was shot from a distance! A sniper did it - no one here could have!”

“You think we’re fucking *stupid*?!” He points the pistol at me.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - Maki sits upstairs, looking at where the gun is being pointed.

“Tell me it was a sniper one more time…”

Kinship - Where's Maki?!

Why doesn’t he believe me?!

Logic - Think...Think! Why?

Logic (Success) - I know! DICE *confessed* to hanging her. All of them together. The gardener said: ‘We hanged her out back.’ He said it out loud. In a *public place*.

“Listen! The girl was shot! Not hanged! Listen to me!”

“You’re...lying. Peko heard it, loud and clear...” Fuyuhiko moves his gun a bit…

“I hate this shit...”

Perception (Sight) - He pulls the trigger once. A plume of smoke erupts like a volcano.

Perception (Hearing) - The shot rings. Low, tinny. Shuichi yells a bit.

Perception (Sight) - You look behind you. The shot flew over your head - into a small pane of glass in the Whirling.

Esprit De Corps - The assassin smirks. “I knew it. They’re not actually going to kill her, are they?”

Esprit De Corps - They didn't even point it straight at you in the first place.

Fuyuhiko looks at the gun.

“I missed. I won’t do it again.”

Rhetoric - That doesn’t sound good. Change the topic *now*. Or there’s going to be another shot.

“Where’s Junko?! She could explain a bit of this!”

“Who the *fuck* is that?!”

“Junko - the woman upstairs...where is she?” Shuichi asks, turning around.

Inland Empire - She’s not coming back.

Volition - She’s gone. Forget about it now. Concentrate on this.

Suggestion - Maybe...we could calm him down?

Suggestion (Success) - Yikes - this is dangerous, Pianist. Ask about him first. You don’t want personal facts about his sister coming out of *your* mouth. He has to start it.

“Who...are you? You aren’t just a scab leader.” 

“Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, you bastards. Ultimate Yakuza.” He clenches his fist.

“Natsumi and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu…”

Suggestion - Look him in the eye…

“I’m sorry about your sister, Fuyuhiko…”

“She...She just…”

Peko pats his back a slight bit.

“It’s okay, young master…”

“She had olive eyes, didn't she? With blush marks…”

Fuyuhiko smiles a bit.

“Yeah...like brother - like sister, huh?”

“She didn't deserve to go out like that. I promise - I *will* find her killer.”

“Find her killer?!” He clenches his fists.

“As far as he’s concerned, the killers are right behind you, Ultimate Pianist.” Koichi pulls his fedora down a bit.

Suggestion - In his voice, there’s a slight bit of...avoidance. He’s given up on the argument - knowing you’ll win.

“You’re gonna die for them, if you stand there. Right here. Today.” Fuyuhiko taps on the pistol a slight bit.

Suggestion - Big talk. But her eyes aren’t leaving his mind anytime soon.

Rhetoric - Alright. My turn. Let’s form an argument, yeah?

Rhetoric (Success) - This is an *illegal tribunal*. Koichi would never sanction *this* - and The Future Foundation wouldn’t want this to happen either.

Rhetoric - Here’s an argument.

Rhetoric - Fuyuhiko is not in command right now. It’s Koichi. He didn't give them the right to conduct this tribunal - and thus, this is literally illegal.

“Koichi didn't give you the right to conduct this tribunal!”

The man in the fedora smirks a bit.

“You’re right. I didn't. I’m not responsible for this mess - I came by *after* they decided to hold this.”

“What happens if you guys go back to the Future Foundation - after having shot people illegally? You guys would go to jail!”

“You have *no idea* the rights that they are given by the Future Foundation, do you?” Koichi pulls his fedora up a bit, showing his blond hair.

“They kill you - hang you up on a street light, and leave you there - that’s called a *necessary* display of force. They’re part of the 6th Division, reminder.”

Rhetoric - Okay. It’s not much - but they’re talking about something else. Fuyuhiko’s hand is off the gun too. This did *something*.

Volition - Damn it. Is there really no other option?

Empathy - I-I…

Logic - So now, you have two options. One - stand here and pray nothing happens…

Hand/Eye Coordination - Or two - light the spirit bomb.

I…

Shivers - YOU HAVE TO DECIDE. 

Looking back at Maki, she gives me a quiet nod.

Esprit De Corps - I’m still here. Something goes wrong - I’m ready.

Behind my back, I slowly light the fire. Spirit Bomb in my right hand, lighter in my left.

Hand/Eye Coordination - Careful...when it catches fire, throw it *instantly*! It’ll burst into flames.

Endurance - Fuyuhiko will live. Peko will not. Koichi will not. It’s up to you to decide who to throw it at.

Throw it at Fuyuhiko!

Hand/Eye Coordination (Success) - With a crash of shattering glass and a terrible roar, the fire draws in oxygen. The bomb hits Fuyuhiko square in the chest, swallowing him in flames, as he staggers backwards.

Reaction Speed - Time slows around you.

Inland Empire - In the fiery inferno, your tie coils around the man’s neck.

“Good luck, Pianist. You can solve this, right? Both cases. Let her go.”

W-What happened to Fuyuhiko?

Perception (Sight) - Face cracked open in shock.

He’ll live. He’s gone through worse.

I...I’m sorry.

It’s good to see you still have the capacity for compassion.

Goodbye, tie…

Kaede, watch out!

Reaction Speed - To your right, Koichi’s eyes widen in shock. He instantly runs over to Fuyuhiko, making sure that he’s alright and telling him to ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’.

Reaction Speed - On your left, Peko starts rushing you with a metallic katana blade.

Logic - It was hidden in the bamboo wrappings!

Maki! Where is she?!

Perception (Sight) - In the corner of your eye, Maki raises the pistol, aiming it at Peko.

Visual Calculus - She’s trying to find a straight line of sight to the arms or the legs.

Reaction Speed - It’s not easy. She has about 0.7 seconds left to do so. She won’t make it. You’re on your own.

Endurance - Is there anything - *anything* we could use to protect this frail body?

Reaction Speed (Success) - You leap left. The swing of the *nippon steel* barely misses you.

Conceptualization - Clearly, the power of god and anime is not on her side.

Volition - This isn’t the time for jokes, damn it!

I’m alive?!

Perception (Sight) - Then, without trembling, Maki aims, uttering…

Perception (Sight) - “God...if I miss this…”

Visual Calculus - She’s aiming for Peko’s legs, but also trying to miss the femoral artery - an extremely difficult shot, at the speed she’s moving at. 

Perception (Hearing) - A shot rings. From the balcony, the bullet travels, and hits Peko square in the calf.

Peko falls over flat.

Empathy - She’s alive!

Inland Empire - OH GOD! WATCH OUT!

I turn around, back to Fuyuhiko.

Perception (Sight) - In the extinguished meat and flame, he aims the pistol at Shuichi, trying to get a clear shot.

Half Light - Here it comes. Death.

Reaction Speed - There’s enough time to push him away!

Savoir Faire (Success) - Like a scene straight from an action movie, you jump into action, and push Shuichi down.

Perception (Sight) - Fuyuhiko squeezes the trigger.

Volition - Dodge!

Reaction Speed (INEVITABLY FAILED) - You can’t. There’s no time. Something in your body explodes. Your entire lower body is on fire - your legs can’t support you. You fall.

Pain Threshold - The pain is far too intense for you to scream. It pushes the air out of your lungs. Everything goes dark. A distant blur.

O-Ow…

Perception (Sight) - You slightly try to open your eyes. Nothing. A darkness. Dancing lights of pain. Distant shadows.

Perception (Sight) - Out of it, a silhouette appears. A familiar voice - filled with urgency and fear.

“N-No! Kaede!”

“It’s so...dark…”

“Stay with me!”

Endurance - He’s pressing down the wound, as hard as he can.

Perception (Hearing) - In the distance, you hear Maki shouting, as she leaves the balcony.

“Stay awake, Kaede! Don't go unconcious!”

Endurance - But you can’t. It’s so hard. Your eyelids are heavy. 

Perception (Hearing) - “Protect them - remember, no killing!” Kokichi shouts.

Perception (Hearing) - The sounds get more distant. Shuichi’s far away…

Perception (Sight) - Almost gone...but…

Perception (Sight) - Someone’s behind him!

Perception (Sight) - Fuyuhiko stands there, gripping onto his stomach. The detective doesn’t see it - pushing on your wound with both hands.

Reaction Speed - Scream IMMEDIATELY! He’s gonna die.

Authority (Success) - “No…”

Authority - “BEHIND YOU!”

Perception (Sight) - There is no room for hesitation. Shuichi immediately crouches down, and a shot rings.

Perception (Sight) - Suddenly, a masked figure appears behind the man, pulling the gun away from Fuyuhiko.

“You...bastard...”

“...Are you guys alright?”

Perception (Hearing) - Then, the sound disappears. Like someone pressed STOP. Shuichi is gone. Your eyes close - then the whole world…

Falls into darkness…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have...ruined the tense setting in some parts with the jokes.


	45. Shuichi Saihara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “W-What happened?!” Kaito asks, with a small bloodstain on his shirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here comes the most obvious protagonist switch in the past century! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

5:37 PM

“If only I followed the plan…” I press down harder on Kaede’s wound.

“I’m so sorry…”

The masked man in the red afro pats my back.

“It wasn’t your fault - you tried.”

“I got her shot!” I shout.

The man pulls back a little, but simply sighs.

“Well...I have to leave to help Kokichi out. Good luck.” He gives a wave, before putting his hands into his pockets and walking towards the Industrial Harbour.

Amour Propre - He’s right, you know.

I should’ve just gone into the Whirling the instant a shot went off...what was I thinking?!

Kinship - It’s not your fault.

Duality - You need to realise - nothing would’ve happened there. If Kaede didn't screw u-

Sanity - Damn it, detective! Calm down!

Maki and Kaito rush out of the doors, and quickly run over to Kaede’s body.

Byakuya stands right outside the door, looking around before looking at his watch and smirking a bit.

“W-What happened?!” Kaito asks, with a small bloodstain on his shirt.

Deduction - Hmm... 

“Let me see the wound.” Maki states calmly.

I shake my head.

“If I let go, she mi-”

“Let me see the god damn wound, Shuichi!” She yells.

I raise my hands up, and she kneels down.

Patience - You can’t be mad at her. She thinks it’s *her* fault too.

“H-Has Kaito called the precinct yet?”

Maki nods.

“They say they’ve already sent out a squad car on a whim earlier to check on us. They’ll be here soon. Maybe in an hour or two...”

“Ah...will she last that long?”

Maki inspects the unconscious Kaede further.

“It looks like it. The bullet hit her thigh, but no major arteries were nicked. She’ll be out for a while, though. The shock was a bit too much for her…”

“Well, at least she’s okay…” Kaito looks away.

Bond - If he was there with her - would something have changed?

Damn it...why?

I turn around, looking at the rest of the scene.

Peko sits up a little, kneeling next to Fuyuhiko.

Detective’s Hunch - She’ll be fine.

Fuyuhiko is knocked out, though no longer in critical condition.

Mr. Kizakura crouches down next to him, ensuring he’s still alive before moving over to Peko and talking with her.

Research - He’s gonna need an IV bag for that one. Dehydration will kill him before anything else will.

I turn back to Maki, who’s carefully pushing on the wound.

“M-Maki, are you going to tell her?”

She nods.

“If she’s still alive…”

“Hey.” Mr. Kizakura’s voice comes from behind me.

“Mr. Kizakura…”

“Let’s get them to somewhere more comfortable first, yeah? Then we’ll talk.” He says, frowning and pulling down the fedora.

I look back at Kaede’s body, and nod.

Detective’s Hunch - The ahoge shrivels up - and falls down. Her hair is simply curved now.

Suddenly, we hear the large metallic doors to the industrial harbour opening.

“Is DICE leaving?” I murmur.

Mr. Kizakura shakes his head.

“Must be them.”

“Them?”

Shivers - A motor carriage drives through the empty street - and the bridge lowers.

Shivers - The carriage moves north - clad in a large ‘57’ - driving towards the plaza. 

Detective’s Hunch - Towards *you*.

W-Who are you? I don’t think I’ve heard you y-

Shivers - THE CITY. I WILL LEAVE SOON.

Deduction - So, you are one of Kaede’s thoughts - but you’re a supernatural one, are you not?

Shivers - YES.

Kinship - I think I recognize them - cryptic talking, ‘I am the City’ thing - gives a lot of hunches. I say we keep 'em for now.

Abstraction - Hunches, eh?

Detective’s Hunch - Well, as long as he doesn’t steal my job…

Kinship - Oh no, they give a lot more cryptic stuff then you do.

Detective’s Hunch - Ah, I see.

I really have to go over you guys again lat-

“Shuichi.” Kyoko’s voice rings from behind me.

“You were a few minutes too late.” Koichi drinks from his canteen.

“Kyoko?” I turn around, in slight surprise.

The purple-haired woman nods, closing the door to a motor carriage behind her while someone exits it from the other side.

She looks around the plaza - lightly covered in blood.

“What happened here? It looks like something out of the Tragedy.”

“It’s...a long story. All of them are still alive from what I’ve seen.” I answer.

“Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Peko Pekoyama…”

She looks down, stroking her chin.

“And Kaede Akamatsu.” Maki finishes.

Kyoko turns back to me.

“I had something to share with you - but I needed Kaede. You *have* contacted the RCM, right?”

Detection - A slight bit of disappointment in the voice - though it’s really...quiet.

Shivers - As ‘41’ reverberates in your ears - the traffic on the 8/81 slows down.

I nod in response.

“They’re arriving soon.”

“Maybe we could bring the casualties over to Precinct 57 instead?” A man in glasses asks, leaning on the motor carriage.

“It’s only about a half hour drive from here.”

Kyoko shakes her head.

“Lieutenant, isn’t your precinct having...as you described, a ‘pissing competition’? This would acknowledge your precinct taking over Martinaise.”

The lieutenant simply sighs.

“I’ll bring him in.” He points towards Fuyuhiko.

“He needs medical treatment immediately.”

“As far as I can see, the girls have minor leg injuries. Have any major arteries been hit?” He asks.

Maki shakes her head.

“No. They have a few more hours.”

The lieutenant nods in response.

“Then those two will head to Precinct 41, and I’ll bring the man into Precinct 57 - that way, there’s no arguments between the precincts.” He shakes his head.

Analyzation - Lieutenant, huh. By the books - maybe a bit *too* by the books.

“Ms. Kirigiri, what about you?” He asks.

Kyoko simply turns around.

“I have my own score to settle. Shuichi - take a break. At least wait till Kaede wakes up.” She walks away.

“Hey, wai-”

The lieutenant simply shakes his head.

“There’s no changing her mind.”

Kyoko simply walks away, towards the coast.

“I’ll take that to mean that I’m supposed to leave by myself.” The man looks towards the motor carriage for a moment, before turning to Mr. Kizakura.

“Mind helping me out here?” He points to the unconscious Fuyuhiko.

Byakuya simply pushes his glasses up.

“I guess it’s time, then.”

“Time for what?”

“The girl who examines dead bodies as a hobby showed up. Do you not see how much this case matters to Hope’s Peak now? They have *two* Ultimate Detectives on the same case - along with three or four other students.” He crosses his arms.

“I can’t wait to see how this ends.” He smirks.

5:46 PM

As the motor carriage drives off, I sit down in the plastic chair, sighing and looking at Kaede, sound asleep and breathing in my bed.

I take my cap off, putting it on the desk. 

I look between my notebook and Monopad.

The truth bullet list on the Monopad...why is it so short?

Deduction - So much has happened - why have we gotten practically nothing? Mukuro’s hideout? Her notebook? The Tribunal?

Insight - Maybe Ms. Kirigiri has already taken over the case? So it’s not updating the Monopad?

Well, that just means we have to use the notebook more...but I’m still slightly worried.

I open up the case file for ‘No Truce with The Furies’.

Truth Bullets

Monokuma File - The victim is Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate Idol of Class 78. The body was found on the boardwalk on the Martinaise Coast. she died on around the 28th or 29th of November. She was stabbed once in the upper abdomen, where the aorta was hit - causing the victim to die from exsanguination. There is evidence of alcohol use. 

Culprit’s Experience - The culprit likely has experience in the medical field - or perhaps, even the assassination field. It is possible that the culprit is incredibly *lucky* as well. This is believed due to the single stab hitting the aorta directly - causing the victim to bleed out quickly.

Leon’s Account - Sayaka was rehearsing with Sayaka, Satomi and Ibuki for an opening of a small music venue. However, apparently - around 28 November - after a rehearsal, Sayaka said she was going to hang out with a friend, Kaede.

Shivers - HANG OUT. REALLY?

And that’s it…

I hope Precinct 41 shows up soon... 

Wait, so one more thing - could I get a recap on what you guys do? It’s hard to think right now…

Deduction - Mine is obvious. I come up with a hypothesis or a conclusion to a problem.

Research - I’m all your known information and trivia.

Ingenuity - I create ideas for you.

Abstraction - I *develop* those ideas.

Rationality - And I keep those ideas in line.

Patience - Uh...I’m...your patience.

Detective’s Hunch - I give you gut feelings and suspicions. I’m not very cryptic, though…

Kinship - I’m your understanding of your current partner - and can facilitate a slight bit of telepathic communication between you two.

Recollection - Photogenic memories.

Duality - Pointing out contrasts is my job.

Sanity - Your grip on reality. I keep you sane - and thinking straight.

Amour Propre - I give you confidence - and self-respect.

Bond - I help you with other people in general.

Analyzation - Need help with sensing a weakness in someone?

Homme Fatale - Like...making you a femme fatale - but with the genders reversed. I’m cool like that.

Cri de Coeur - Need to persuade someone? Possible.

Detection - I let you know when something sounds...off - in a conversation.

There’s more of you guys today…

Deduction - We don’t know why either - we’ll tell you when we get the reason.

Shivers - I AM LA REVACHOLIÈ.

Research - You mean...the city?

Shivers - YES.

Insight - Some of us are weaker than others - depending on *you*, Detective. You may want to be careful when using us.

Ah, I understand.

Deduction - Well, what do we do now? Ms. Kirigiri requested that we wait until Kaede wakes up, but we can still do some thinking.

...Let’s try it.

Deduction - First of all - which case do we try to figure out first? No Truce with The Furies, or The Hanged Woman?

Isn’t Kyoko investigating The Hanged Woman? Let’s try Sayaka’s case…

Deduction - Alright. Let’s start. Who’s the likeliest culprit, currently?

PSYCHE TAXI - START!

Phase 1/3

Deduction - This should be a lot easier with us here.

Where was the body found?

1\. The Boardwalk

2\. The Waterfront

Recollection - Easy. Boardwalk.

I steer towards the left.

Good!

Phase 2/3

NEXT QUESTION

The blue enters the scene once again, as the plains turn into the futuristic city.

Where is the murder weapon?

1\. The Boardwalk  


2\. The Waterfront

3\. It has been disposed of.

Deduction - The answer here is probably 3…

Ingenuity - Wait, no!

As I hit the rightmost silhouette, my eyes are covered by bright pink for a second, before the words ‘GAME OVER’ appear.

I...messed up.

Deduction - We can try it again later. It’s fine.

UNKNOWN:TIME

Composure - I hope you understand that nothing would have happened if we just stood still.

Hand/Eye Coordination - We had no other choice!

Empathy - There’s always a choice.

Reaction Speed - What, stand there and die or throw the spirit bomb?

Esprit De Corps - The first shot.

Reaction Speed - Yeah?! What about that first shot, huh?

Esprit De Corps - ‘They aren’t really going to shoot her, are they?’

Hand/Eye Coordination - Look, I didn't kn-

Composure - You were bloodthirsty. That’s all. Look at where that has brought us.

Reaction Speed - Bu-

Volition - Stop arguing. We’re still alive - just out of commission for a while. 

Inland Empire - They left…

Volition - Hm?

Inland Empire - Revachol - they’re gone.

Volition - Oh, you mean the strange feeling.

Kinship - I’m pretty sure the guy you’re talking about is with *us* right now.

Inland Empire - I know.

Volition - That’s...good, right?

Pain Threshold - The wound...it’s hurting less now.

Perception - Oh, thank god. I can feel again.

Logic - Whew. I’m back.

Drama - Is it a *good* thing we’re back?

Conceptualization - I would say yes.

Volition - Eh...maybe?

Empathy - No.

Drama - So, old man. Have *another* plan we could use in this situation?

Logic - Look, I’m trying to figure something out right now.

Conceptualization - You even had the most *perfect* ‘I have a plan’ cut off - and then failed miserably. I’m far too disappointed to expect anything from you anymore.

Logic - I-Shut up! Maybe I was looking at this from the wrong perspective…


	46. The Point of Origin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I walk out the glass door onto the roof, where I notice that the red thread is tied to the antenna…

I’m stuck at a brick wall...can I really not figure anything else out by myself?

Ultimate Detective…

My eyes turn to Kaede, who’s still sleeping soundly.

I’m so sorry. I didn't realise how much I was relying on you…

Amour Propre - Hey there! Enough feeling bad for yourself. Kaede would want you to solve this case, wouldn’t she? And we have a bit of free time right now. So…

I guess I could do some investigation for now…

Recollection - First, why don’t we check out Junko’s room? She went missing right before the Tribunal - maybe she left us something…

Right...I couldn’t see through her lies, even with Kaede’s warning…

Amour Propre - You’re such a downer sometimes, you know?

??? (Success) - “Come on, Shuichi! You can do it, can’t you?” Kaede holds her hand out to you.

??? - As you take her hand, she smiles, pointing at the table.

Standing up, I grab my Monopad and pistol off the table.

??? - “You sure you don’t need this?”

I shake my head.

??? - “Well, go on then!” She lightly pushes you, before disintegrating into the air - white particles, flying away.

6:00 PM

Sanity - T-That wasn’t a delusion. That was real, wasn’t it?

I pull open the door to Junko’s room, and walk up the stairs.

Amour Propre - Good! Now we’re getting somewhere!

The room is painted in a yellow hue still - the light on.

Recollection - But - there’s something new here.

Detection - A red thread - leading out of the room and onto the roof outside…

I walk out the glass door onto the roof, where I notice that the red thread is tied to the antenna…

Deduction - This is ballistics. She left a trajectory for you.

A trajectory…up on the top right of the window.

Insight - Detective, we could’ve figured it out even without this hint from Junko.

This is where she thinks the bullet hole was.

Deduction - The only point of origin - other than the roof, you haven’t ruled out yet…

I know…

Shivers - The wind lightly caresses your head. You’re...tired - when you look at this thread.

Bond - Don’t do anything stupid before Kaede wakes up.

“...The shot came from the islet…” I look out the window - towards the island in the bay.

“We already knew that though, didn't we?”

6:06 PM

Red Thread has been added to the Truth Bullet section of your Monopad.

Shivers - A chill runs down your spine.

Ingenuity - Maybe we should listen to Ms. Kirigiri? Rest a bit. It’s been a while since we did *nothing*.

Abstraction - We can think while doing nothing too - why don’t we come up with a theory?

Amour Propre - Detective, we should take a break. Ms. Kirigiri gave us time to rest.

I...I guess…

Suddenly, I hear the loud roar of the engine of a motor carriage outside.

Deduction - That must be Precinct 41.

UNKNOWN:TIME

W-It’s dark, again…

It’s death. One more door you won’t open.

L-Let me back out! I-I need to….

Let you *out*? We can’t. Take the door.

Volition - She can’t go yet. Not before the case is solved. Not before she lives her life.

I know what the infernal engine was now - the clarion call.

It was her. She was the engine - and she won’t stop.

Inland Empire - Something’s...off…

Volition - What are you talking about now, half cut human head?

Inland Empire - I...the world...it…*corrected* itself.

Volition - Are you okay? What’s going on?

Composure - He’s fine. He just needs time to think.

6:08 PM

I walk into Kaede’s distraught room, finding Maki taking care of Peko, who’s unconscious on the broken bed.

“Is...she going to be okay?”

Maki points to a bandaged wound on Peko’s calf.

“She’ll have a bit of a problem walking, but otherwise, fine.”

“Where’s Kaito?”

“He went to take a break. He’s outside right now, probably looking up at the sky or something.” 

I give a loud sigh.

“How did we mess things up this badly?”

Maki turns around facing me.

“You finally took your cap off.” She comments.

“Yeah. I...think I’m done running from the truth.”

Bond - You have no idea how much this means to her and Kaito.

She smiles in response.

“I didn't think her being injured would affect you so much. You didn't talk to her much before this case.”

“I don’t think she even knew my name.” I scratch the side of my head.

Bond - Oh, she did.

“We just saw each other every now and then - but she still helped me out a lot.”

“Wait…” Maki narrows her eyes.

“I can’t believe I didn't piece it together before.” Maki shakes her head.

“What do you mean?”

“Nevermind, forget I said anything.” She turns back to Peko.

“We should probably get Peko to the Precinct 41 officers. Let’s keep Kaede here - it would be a pain if we had to bring her back and forth constantly.” Maki places a finger under her eye.

“W-Wait, but wouldn’t that be a bit dangerous?”

She nods.

“Which is why I think I’ll set her up in this room. I’ll watch over her - you can go take a break or whatever.”

Kinship - Kaede’s tough. She’ll be fine - just out for a slight bit longer.

Deduction - With that being said, it’s not like it matters. Even if she wakes up earlier - she still has to travel here, doesn’t she? It’s a few hours.

“Well, let’s get Peko out of here.” Maki lifts Peko up, and starts carrying her out of the room.

“Shuichi, get the door.”

“A-Ah! Alright.”

6:10 PM

I look around the cafeteria, only to find the cafeteria of the Whirling-In-Rags empty.

“Everyone must’ve left…” I think aloud.

“People aren’t likely to stick around after a shooting of that calibre.” Byakuya crosses his arms.

Maki gives a subtle nod towards the door.

“Open it, Shuichi.”

“O-Okay.” I push the glass doors open, letting Maki through.

The first thing we see is a group of officers, inspecting the area.

“You must be the officers from Precinct 41.” Maki remarks.

A man in a black suit turns around.

“No shit.”

“Come on, Jean. They’re kids - cut them some slack.” A old man, with greying hair in a green jacket smiles, half-winking.

Shivers - THE MAN I WAS SUPPOSED TO TALK TO.

Lieutenant Vicquemare sighs.

Detective’s Hunch - He *radiates* disco - I can tell you that much.

Analyzation - This man - the complete opposite of the other Lieutenant from Precinct 57. This one is more...experimentative. But far too…*insane*.

The man turns to me.

“You must be the Ultimate Detective.”

“Ah, I’m not…*the* Ultimate Detective - just *an* Ultimate Detective…”

“Well, nevermind that. What happened here?” He looks around.

Maki and I pause, trying to explain the situation.

6:12 PM

“...You have to be kidding.” Lieutenant Vicquemare facepalms.

“Well...at least no one died, Vic.” The man looks away.

“Oh wow, thank god no one *died*! How wonderful. We only have three injured casualties - one who almost burned to death.”

Insight - Sarcasm.

“We’re currently taking care of one of the injured. Another is at Precinct 57 - and we were wondering if you could take this one.” Maki looks down at Peko, who she is still carrying.

“We’ll do it.” The man in the green jacket nods.

“Harry!”

“It’s not like Nix is busy with anything.”

“But…”

“These kids are busy with a case anyways, right? Just give them some peace of mind.”

He turns to me.

“Are you sure you guys don’t want us to take the other one as well?”

I nod.

“She’s investigating the case as well - so…”

The man simply nods, still winking and smiling.

“We’ll take care of this one, then.”

Maki nods, approaching the blue motor carriage with 41 haphazardly plastered on the side and putting her in the back seat.

“We’ll take good care of her.”

A blond man in a black suit says, in the driver seat.

“Alright. Thanks again.” Maki nods.

Lieutenant Vicquemare simply sighs.

“Let’s get going, Harry. We’re done here.”

“Good luck with the case, you guys! If you ever need a lesson in style - come back again.” He gives one last smile, before closing the door to the motor carriage.

Kinship - The engine starts with a loud infernal roar, before driving off.

“Shuichi - go get some rest. We’ve done enough work for today.”

“R-Really? Alright…”

6:17 PM

As I enter the Whirling, I notice that Byakuya is missing.

Detective’s Hunch - Upstairs.

Ingenuity - Maybe he’s helping you guys out with Kaede?

Bond (Failed) - No, no way. He’s not the type of person to do that...

Duality - You never know.

I walk up the stairs to my room, and open it up.

“A-Ah! What are you doing here?” I yell.

An aged man with white, combed hair turns to me, holding up a key.

He pulls open the door, revealing Kaede’s bathroom.

He looks around the room, covering his nose.

“Is this what the typical commoner’s room is like? Suddenly, I’m glad I had to fight all my siblings to take over the Togami family.” Byakuya says, as he enters Kaede’s room from the front door.

“What do you want?” Maki growls, kneeling down and inspecting Kaede’s bandage.

“Aloysius - clean this room up to the best of your ability.”

Deduction - Probably Byakuya’s butler?

The man simply bows.

“As you wish, young master.”

6:20 PM

“I still can’t believe they kicked us out like that...whatever. At least we get free food.” Maki looks away.

“Maki, have you seen Kaito in the past half an hour? He’s still missing…”

She shakes her head.

“He does this sometimes. I don’t know why either.”

Bond - She knows - she just doesn’t want to believe it.

“Maki...you know something, don’t you?”

She looks at me with dark eyes.

“Do you want to die?”

“I-I mean, nevermind…”

Detective's Hunch - West. Towards the bookstore - the doomed commercial area. Start by telling them about the pale - then, the furnace.

She looks away again.

“You should go to bed, Shuichi.”

"I...think I'll stay up a bit longer. I have something to check out." I stand up from the cafeteria table.

"Don't stay out too late. Be back in thirty minutes - when the food's ready."

I nod.


	47. The Writer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cracked window in the church…

6:20 PM

Ingenuity - We should grab the filament memory while we’re here too, shouldn’t we? The password - we know what it is now.

You’re right, actually…

Abstraction - We’ll see what we can get from it! Maybe more information about the pale? Or the Writer project!

I walk up the stairs of the Whirling, and pull open the door to Kaede’s room.

Alyosious Pennyworth is still in the room, cleaning up the small messes.

“Uh...sorry, but could I grab something really quickly?”

The man simply nods.

“T-Thanks…”

I walk over to Kaede’s bed, and kneel down on the bag which is laying on the bed’s legs.

Looking through Kaede’s backpack, I find the Production Schedule filament memory.

“She carried this with her all the way…” I smile.

I step out of the room, closing the door behind me. I walk down the stairs. 

“Where are *you* going?” Maki asks.

“I have a few answers to get.” I hold up the filament memory.

I leave the Whirling-In-Rags, heading towards Touko’s bookstore.

I push open the door, finding Chihiro and Touko whispering to one another.

“Touko?”

Homme Fatale - Start off slow. Go see if you can buy something first.

She turns to me.

“What is it, you?! I’m...busy!”

“U-Uh...I guess I’ll buy something…”

I start walking around the bookstore, searching for something interesting.

“Hey, Shuichi.” Chihiro calls.

“Chihiro? What is it?”

“Where’s Kaede?” He asks curiously.

“U-Uh, she’s unconscious right now…”

“Is that so...?” He looks away, thinking for a moment.

“She was shot...but she’s still fine.”

“R-Really?” He looks at me in slight surprise.

“I hope she’s okay…”

I smile.

“I’m sure everything will be alright...”

Kinship - What about that board game, there? Suzerainty…

Chihiro looks at me.

“Are you interested in board games? That one’s a civilization-building game!”

Insight - A star-shaped note on the box proclaims the game now includes a completely new ‘Genocide’ option.

“U-Uh...I guess I’ll buy it.” I grab my wallet.

Chihiro looks at it.

“I’ll give it to you for free, Shuichi!”

“A-Are you sure?”

“Yeah! You can play it with Kaede, too!” He smiles.

“I mean...alright.”

Chihiro bags the board game in a plastic bag, and hands it to me.

“Here!”

“T-Thanks…”

Homme Fatale - Now, you drop it on ‘em!

Right as I reach the door, I turn around to face Touko.

“I think we know what the source of all those curses are.” I blurt, looking towards the curtains.

“You found out?” She bites her nail.

“Well! What is it then? Spit it out!”

I look outside the door.

“We found a 2mm hole in reality itself. That’s what we think the source of doom is. Both - here, and in *Martinaise*.”

“A 2mm hole?” Chihiro questions.

“A...a *what*?”

Reaction Speed - They weren’t expecting this. Chihiro - didn't think anything was wrong. Touko wasn’t expecting a *hole*.

“A tiny hole in reality itself. Kaede noticed it earlier. We think it’s connected to the pale - probably as its origin.”

Chihiro looks at me in surprise.

“Wait...so...those data losses in…”

I nod.

“If you were on ‘The Writer’ project, those losses weren’t your fault.”

He gives a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness...so it *wasn’t* my fault after all…”

Bond - He’s tearing up a bit. He’s so happy that it wasn’t any of their faults that they failed.

“Wait, Chihiro, you worked on the project?”

He nods, smiling.

“Yeah! Hope’s Peak told me to help them out, and I couldn’t say no…”

“S-Shut up! W-What’s more i-important here is w-what we do now!”

Touko looks at me, face slightly red.

“I-I can’t just move out! I-I need to be near Master!” She starts smiling, blushing a little.

Detective’s Hunch - Master...could she be referring to Byakuya?

“U-Uh, Shuichi - you might want to leave now…” Chihiro looks at me, smiling a little.

“Yo-You will never understand my love for Master!” Touko growls.

“I-I mean...okay…”

Recollection - Just leave now. Use the backdoor instead.

“I...I’ll see you back at Hope’s Peak!” I pull the door open from behind me.

Chihiro smiles back.

“Yeah!”

I give a slight wave to Chihiro, before leaving the room.

Detective’s Hunch - There’s something about that purple-haired girl…

Huh?

Detective’s Hunch - I can’t quite put my finger on it...

I pull on the steel door leading into the Doomed Commercial Area.

Looking around the dark area, I realise that I forgot to grab Kaede’s flashlight with me.

Recollection (Success) - We don’t need one. We can remember this place. Carefully.

The wooden planks creak as I walk over them, and I walk up the stairs leading to the planning room - being careful not to trip on any wires or misplaced furniture.

Detective’s Hunch - The mainframe glows. Tiles on the cube smoulder, and the play and print keys shine on the keyboard.

I insert the filament memory into the mainframe - and press PLAY.

Analyzation - The speaker comes to life. Static seeps. A robotic voice greets you.

“Rise and Shine, Ursine!”

“This is the East-Insulindian Repeater Station! Fortress Accident - you have just inserted the Production Schedule, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Good! Please repeat the password!”

I give a loud sigh.

Kinship - “After life.”

Detective’s Hunch - “Death.”

“Good! I’ve unlocked the production schedule.”

Shivers - MAY I ASK, DETECTIVE. HOW DID YOU KNOW?

The cracked window in the church…

Recollection - It once read - ‘After life, death. After death, life again. After the world, the pale; and after the pale - the world again.’

Detective’s Hunch - First try.

Shivers - WERE YOU PLANNING ON USING EVERY PART OF ALL THE RCM MOTTOS?

Uh...no….

Sanity - The voices in his head told him to say that one specific part.

“Goodbye! Bearwell!” The voice disappears, along with the static.

I press the virescent print key, shining on the keyboard.

Patience - The printer starts printing, slowly, criss-crossing letters on the surface of the paper.

A project report…

“The Writer”. A ‘game’ developed by studio Fortress Accident.

I skim through the schedule.

Patience (Success) - The production schedule depicts the glorious descent of Fortress Accident into bankruptcy.

What...happened?

Patience - The project was far too large. No amount of money could ever satiate the expanding ambitions of the development team.

Patience - It was a four billion yen project - with four million yen to develop it.

Patience - They thought they could bridge the gap with pure willpower and imagination. You saw how that turned out.

Deduction - So they were done in by their own ambition.

Patience - No. Even then. Success remained within possibility. The amount of angst the people had to go through...I cannot say.

Bond - Hope. They had so much of it.

Patience - Of course, something went wrong. The lead designer - a ‘Tsumugi Shirogane’, wanted something special.

Tsumugi...

Patience - She wanted this project to be able to write a story in real life. And have it *occur*.

W-What? What does that mean?

Patience - She wanted this small project - to literally change reality itself. Timelines. Plot. Someone’s role. Traits. Everything.

Were they...successful in developing this?

Patience - Oh, almost. You know, the saddest part is - almost. Not no.

Patience - The *real* cause - was the data losses.

Wasn’t that...what Miu mentioned?

Patience - On the nature of the data losses, there’s fairly little information. Then...ominously…

Detective’s Hunch - The writing gets fuzzy and dark. The tables and numbers vanish into an eerie nothingness...then, Hope’s Peak pulled the plug.

Hope’s Peak was involved?

Patience - Yes. They were funding this project. Tsumugi is a student, after all.

And...the anomaly caused the data to just...disappear?

Patience - All the coding - programming, lost.

Patience - After that, there’s some notes at the end, added some time later by an unknown author.

Patience - Four months later: ‘I am the only one left. It’s pretty damp in here, and a few other businesses have gone under. Slipstream. Hairdressers. They all left - cursing Martinaise. Something’s seriously wrong with this place. Martinaise. All of it.’

Patience - ‘I still don’t have an answer. I’m sending a short note to Hope’s Peak. I’ve looked through all the notes Chihiro gave me, but...all I got was some coordinates. Comparing it to a map of Revachol West…’

Patience - ‘It’s 800 metres from here. Saint-Brune 1147.’

Recollection - Your view swaps to the outside of the church.

Recollection - ‘Saint-Brune 1147…’

Patience - ‘I have to leave soon. My next case is back in Japan. Hope’s Peak is calling me back…’

Patience - Next, is the workforce. Fifteen people were employed - bulk being writers and artists. The major names you note are the following:

Research - Hifumi Yamada - Art. Tsumugi Shirogane - Writing. Chihiro Fujisaki - Programming. And…

Kaede Akamatsu. Music.

How long ago was this?

Deduction - Looks like a few months, maybe a year? 

I tear off the printout.

‘The Production Schedule’ has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad.

Detective’s Hunch - There is one last thing to do.

Huh?

Detective’s Hunch - Through the dust. Past here, a small pitch black doorway.

Shivers - WALK.

Detective’s Hunch - Then, on your left, walk up some stairs.

*Creak!*

I quickly turn around.

Sanity - It’s nothing. Just some planks. Keep going.

An open garage door? Why is there one here anyways?

I walk into the room, and up the wooden stairs leading up to a small desk and chair - with dozens of what look like fan art pieces strewn around.

Shivers - SPARED.

Recollection - This is the top of the furnace downstairs. Where Kaede shouted into.

There’s a window here...looking down towards the courtyard.

Shivers (Success) - A gust of cold air sweeps through the chimney. The papers rattle and shiver. For a moment - it feels like you’re *outside* the building - exposed to the atmosphere.

I look around the room, finding more and more pieces of art based around a magical girl character - with pink hair and a bow.

I look under the desk, finding a small, metallic black box.

Insight - Careful! Dangerous!

I carefully pick it up from the ground.

Shivers - THE MAN WAS HERE. HIFUMI YAMADA.

Shivers - HE SAT HERE - DRAWING AND WRITING HIS PIECES.

Shivers - HE WAS THE ONLY ONE HERE - THAT WAS SPARED FROM THE DOOMED COMMERCIAL AREA.

What...are you talking about?

Shivers - THE MISFORTUNE OF THIS AREA. TOKO’S BOOKSTORE IS LEAVING SOON, TOO.

Shivers - THE BOX. TAKE IT WITH YOU. IT IS IMPORTANT - LATER.

Ingenuity - Detective, do you like reading?

Huh? I mean...I like novels, yeah…

Abstraction - Well, you’ll have a hell of a time with this theory. Grab the box. We’re done here.

Kinship - In the dark, a blond girl opens her eyes.

7:03 PM  
“Shuichi…” I mutter, looking at a dark figure resting on my lap. 

The figure looks up in the dimly lit room.

“No, you dolt...it’s me.” Maki’s voice answers.

“Oh...Maki…”

Perception (Sight) - She stands up, looking around the room. She has eyebags, and seems really tired.

“Thank god...you’re fine.”

“Ouch…” I try to sit up from the bed.

“It’s not *ouch* time yet. You just had a painkiller.” She looks away, turning the light on.

“The room...it’s...clean?” I look around.

Perception (Sight) - The previously hideous room - greying and broken - has been completely overhauled. A pretty white covers the floor, the tape player’s repaired - and the broken door is gone. The lights are working perfectly fine - and so is the fan.

“How long...have I been out?”

“Not long. About two hours.” She sighs.

“What...happened?”

“What happened? You threw a petroleum bomb at Fuyuhiko. Shots followed.”

“Is he…”

“Dead? No. He’s resting in Precinct 57 right now.”

“What about Peko? And...Koichi?”

“Peko’s resting in Precinct 41 - and Mr. Kizakura is heading back to Hope’s Peak. They’re going to need something heavy to cover up this mess.”

“DICE?”

“They’re fine. They were hiding in the backyard.”

“You pushed Shuichi out of the way and literally took a bullet for him. You warned him about Fuyuhiko - and Shuichi dodged the shot.”

Kinship - Thank you.

“Then…”

“One of the DICE members worked up the nerve to help out - disarmed him, before anything else happened.”

“How many...?”

“None. Unless you count injured casualties. Then three. Or four - depending on how you see it.”

“Four?”

“Kaito. He got cut by the shattered glass.”

“And that’s…”

“All.” She concludes.

“An absolute disaster…”

She shakes her head.

“No one died, Kaede. I would consider that a success any day.”

Logic - Ironic, considering her talent as Assassin.

“And…” She smiles.

“We’re all still alive. All four of us.”

Rhetoric - She didn't expect you to survive once you stepped out - and threw that bomb.

“Where’s...Shuichi?”

“I don’t know. I checked his room earlier - it’s just Kaito in there. He probably slipped out in the middle of the night.”

“How bad...am I hurt?”

“Reasonably bad. The shot hit your thigh - but only the outer side. The bullet was removed and the infection treated.”

“Can I walk?”

“We’ll...see.”

Volition - If it’s possible, then by pure willpower alone. You’re going to have to become...a Psycholocomotor.

“Has...anyone from Hope’s Peak come by?”

Maki nods.

“A Mikan Tsumiki. I don't think she’s going to be around for very long. Probably already moving to Precinct 57.”

Encyclopedia - Ultimate Nurse.

“So...she treated me...”

Maki nods.

“What about...Shuichi? Is he hurt?”

Maki shakes her head.

“He’s fine. Things would’ve been a lot worse if you didn't warn him.” There’s a slight pause.

“...Kaede - don’t do something like that again.” She pulls me into a hug.

“Do...what?”

“Run out all guns blazing. You’re impulsive.” She shakes her head.

“Shuichi has the opposite problem. He’s *too* careful.”

“Okay…”

I slowly get up from the bed, as she releases me.

“...What happens now?” I ask.

“I don’t know. Take a break. Shuichi’ll probably be back soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, this fic might have to go on hiatus soon (no, this isn't an April fools joke). I'll see if I can wrap things up in a few weeks time - but if it passes that, I probably have to put this off till June.
> 
> Damn. I can't believe it's been nearly five months...


	48. Logic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No, Kaede. You’re way too unstable to be working with the 6th Division. I can confirm you’re not with them.”

7:07 PM

“Maki...didn't they say that Fuyuhiko and Peko were from the 6th Division?”

Maki nods.

“What about it? They were out of hand.”

“What about…*me*? Am I…”

She chuckles a bit.

“No, Kaede. You’re way too unstable to be working with the 6th Division. I can confirm you’re not with them.”

“Though...that doesn’t mean you weren’t *invited*.” She smiles.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I’m a part of it.”

Logic - Oh.

Logic - Oh.

Logic - That. Makes sense.

“R-Really? Then…”

“I shot people I knew, yes.”

Empathy - A touch of sadness.

Esprit De Corps - No wonder she was so sure they wouldn’t shoot you.

“I-Were they even...going to shoot me?”

She sighs.

“Probably not, no. They usually don’t go out of their way to kill - unless you’ve wronged them somehow. At most - they’d kill DICE. Not you.”

“I...I’m sorry…”

She looks away.

“Don’t be. It was my fault for not stepping up.”

“Hold on.” She walks away into the bathroom, pulling open a white door I’ve never noticed before.

Logic - It probably leads to Shuichi’s room.

She comes back with a bandage in hand.

“Small amounts of blood...seems alright…”

Kneeling down, she removes a slightly red bandage off my thigh.

Pain Threshold (Failed) - “O-Ow…”

She looks up, slightly worried.

“It gets worse. You even had a drouamine pill, too…”

Encyclopedia - An under the counter pain killer.

“Tomorrow, make sure you rinse the wound. Don’t do it yet though. Make sure it’s dry for now.”

I nod in response.

“...You should head down, Kaede. Go grab something to eat.” 

Logic - I have an idea.

Conceptualization - What is it, now?

Logic (Success) - ...Let’s question Tsumugi Shirogane.

Wait, why Tsumugi?

Logic - Okay. Let’s look at this *logically*, yes?

…

Logic - Imagine we’re in a story. What are the tropes so far?

Uh…

Logic - First. What was the *first* thing that you remember?

I...woke up in a hotel room, with no memory?

Logic - Exactly! A trope - based around the character waking up in a setting completely unfamiliar to them. 

Empathy - Then...there’s also the ‘Asshole Victim’, isn’t there?

Logic - Mmhmm. She was accused of rape - and sexual harassment.

Logic - Third. The *perfect* red herring - someone everyone accuses, and no one knows the location to.

You mean Mukuro?

Logic - Exactly! But - she obviously didn't do it. No one heard the shot, et cetera.

Volition - That wasn’t what you were saying yesterday...

Inland Empire - Then...a subverted Amnesiac Dissonance. Where you thought you might’ve been with the 6th Division.

Logic - That too. 

But...we’re not in a mystery story. Those were…

Logic - A series of coincidences?

But how does this relate to Tsumugi at all? Even if this *was* a mystery story.

Volition - Is this what your theory culminated to? Just more and more questions?

Logic - Think about it. In those stories. What are the twists that could happen?

Conceptualization - *Everyone* did it.

Inland Empire - *You* did it.

Logic - *The noted - but not very important* character did it.

And...that would be Tsumugi?

Logic - Yes! She’s hidden herself so much from sight. You’ve never talked to her more than once - and when you did, she gave you a slight bit of information you could find yourself.

Rhetoric - But there are others as well, isn’t there? Korekiyo, Chihiro…

Kinship - I would say Chihiro has already played a role.

Logic - What would that be?

Kinship - You’ll see - later.

It’s not like we have any more leads…

Kinship - We do know where the bullet came from now.

Logic - Really?

Kinship - Yes. It might corroborate your theory - it may not. The shot - very likely, came from the islet in the bay.

Logic - Well then, Pianist. First stop, after finding Shuichi - Fishing village.

Kinship - He’ll be back soon. Maybe save this for tomorrow?

Logic - Alright, fine.

Inland Empire - First. Sayaka’s case.

I stand up from the bed, before a sharp pain hits my leg.

“Ow...it hurts to...” I murmur.

“Of course it does. You’ve been shot.” Maki frowns.

“I’ll go check on Kaito. You go downstairs, alright? Make sure you get something to eat - then rest up for tomorrow.”

“I’ll do that…” I say, as I pull open the door to my room.

Esprit De Corps - No, you won’t - she thinks.

7:13 PM

“How did you like your room?” Byakuya smirks.

“W-Wait, it was you that cleaned it out?” I ask, walking up to the counter.

Logic - Obviously not, you idiot.

“Not me. My butler did it. I wouldn’t ever dream of cleaning a typical peasant’s room out.”

“Though...yours wasn’t very typical to begin with, in hindsight.” He pushes his glasses up.

“Well...thank you, Byakuya.”

He nods.

“I’ll forward your thanks to Aloysius.”

Esprit De Corps (Success) - Translation from Byakuya Language - You’re very welcome, *Musician*.

“I’ll...grab something to eat.”

“You’re out of luck. The cook just left.” He crosses his arms.

“But, well...considering that you did walk out and defend this establishment in Celestia’s stead - I’ll get Aloysius to get something ready for you.”

Authority - A newfound respect for you. Good.

“It’ll take a while, though. Knowing his standards.”

I nod in response, before heading to leave the Whirling.

7:15 PM

“Shuichi…” I look at him in surprise.

“You’re up…” He murmurs, holding onto a plastic bag.

Perception (Sight) - His hair - you can see it now. Dark blue - with a curved ahoge at the top.

“I knew you’d look more handsome without the cap on!” I smile, before another sharp pain enters my leg.

“A-Again…”

Pain Threshold - Maybe if you don’t run...it’ll be okay?

“A-Are you okay?” He asks worriedly, running up to me.

“Yeah...I’m alright.”

“W-What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be resting right now?” He asks.

Empathy - Genuine worry in his voice.

“I-I’m such an idiot...if only I ran into the Whirling instead of just standing there…”

“I-I’m fine now, see? It’s alright, Shuichi.”

Pain Threshold - No, you’re not fine.

“I...just wanted to work on Sayaka’s case.”

7:18 PM

“Are you sure about this? You’re still recovering...” Shuichi looks at my limp, as we walk on the waterlock.

“I’ll be fine. I had a few questions for you too…”

“What is it?” He asks.

“What happened to Junko?”

“We should have arrested her…” Shuichi whispers.

Empathy - You can feel how upset he is with himself. For one second.

“I asked around. People saw her leaving exactly half an hour before the Tribunal. She knew it was coming.”

“W-What happened to DICE? I didn't see any of them in the Whirling…”

“They’re under lockdown in the Industrial Harbour right now. No one lets in or out - other than the Future Foundation.”

“Shuichi...you’re not ready to give up, are you?”

He pauses for a moment.

“No. We still have a bit of time.”

7:26 PM

We walk past the Fishing Village - past the market, and towards where we found Sayaka’s body.

Half Light - The smell hits your nose again. It’s shouting for you to turn in the other direction - RUN!

Perception (Sight) - Kneeling down next to the body, is a purple-haired woman, inspecting Sayaka.

“Kyoko?” Shuichi questions.

Encyclopedia - Kyoko Kirgiri. Ultimate Detective of Class 78.

The woman turns around.

“Oh, it’s you two. I thought you’d show up sooner or later.” She crosses her arms.

“This is no time to be taking needless risks - but here I am…” She scratches the side of her head.

She turns back to the body.

Empathy - Sadness.

“I’ll have to transport her back to Hope’s Peak. When you’re done with this case…” She turns to us.

“Come find me, alright? Or...maybe I'll come back. I don't know yet.” She closes her eyes.

“We’ll...be sure to do that.” Shuichi nods.

She starts walking away, slowly from the boardwalk.

“She does that a lot…” Shuichi comments.

“Well...maybe it’s her thing? She looks cool, at least!”

7:30 PM

“Who killed Sayaka Maizono…” Shuichi murmurs to himself, as we walk back to the fishing village.

Kinship - He knows the answer - but he can’t piece it together quite yet...he has an idea of what it could be - but can’t express it.

“Shuichi, if we think the shot came from the islet...shouldn’t we investigate it now?”

He shakes his head.

“The problem is - we have no way over there. I messaged Rantaro after I found out Kyoko isn’t taking our case - but he says he’ll be back tomorrow...until then, all we have is Sayaka’s case.”

Logic - And we’re stuck on that one. The perfect murder so far - without forensics. We need *something*. 

Inland Empire - We’ll get it. Sooner or later.

“Let’s head back to the Whirling for now.” I suggest.

He nods.

“There’s not much else we can do…”

THOUGHT COMPLETE

Do you want to die?

_Maki Harukawa. Raised in an orphanage - she took care of the younger kids (even though she didn't want to). This didn't stop them from taking a liking to her, though. But - when she reached around ten, her friend was scouted. Maki took the bullet instead. Just. Like. You._

+1 Esprit De Corps  
+1 Empathy  
-1 Volition  
-1 Pain Threshold

Shuichi pushes open the door to the Whirling.

7:40 PM

We sit in the cafeteria of the Whirling-In-Rags, eating. Maki comes down.

“Hey there, Maki.” I wave.

She nods quietly.

“I’m here to grab some food for Kaito. If you need me - I’m in Junko’s room. Shuichi - you can go sleep in your room. Kaito's sleeping at the desk.”

Drama - She’s not…*only* there for the food for the Astronaut.

She walks up the stairs, with a bit of bread and water.

Inland Empire - “Shuichi...isn’t something...off, between Kaito and Maki?”

He nods.

“I’ve noticed it too. Something strange is going on…especially with Kaito.”

7:47 PM

“Up for a game?” Shuichi asks, walking in from his room into mine.

Perception (Sight) - He’s holding up a board game. Wrapped in plastic - the cover illustrates grinning labourers loading goods on a ship. ‘Suzerainty’.

“Sure! Not much we can do right now…”

Perception (Hearing) - The rattle of wooden tokens. It has a nice heft.

Inland Empire - What treasures wait in store for you?

Logic - A game of *grand strategy* and player interaction? Count me in!

Reaction Speed - You open up the box, and pick up the rulebook.

Perception (Sight) - Diagrams and examples throughout - each player is an administrator. Increase wealth and renown - and get victory points.

Reaction Speed - Your eye catches on a sidebar, labelled ‘ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS’.

Reaction Speed - Find one strategy and commit to it wholeheartedly.

“Wait, a single game of this can last *one to six hours*?!” Shuichi yells in surprise.

“I...don’t think we have enough time.”

Suggestion (Success) - What is detective work if not an elaborate game? You need logical inference, attention to detail, the ability to analyse your opponents’ actions and motives…

Inland Empire - Kokichi would hate what you just said.

“Come on, it might help us think of more *creative* solutions to the case.”

Shuichi thinks for a moment.

“Fine. We’ll play one…”

Suggestion - See? All he needed was a little nudge.

8:32 PM

“I ended the game with *two points*?!” I shout in surprise.

Shuichi chuckles.

“I’m at twenty so...I win?”

“Well, you did invest quite a bit into the welfare of your workers, instead of anything else...” Shuichi places a finger under his chin.

“You even went for the public education system…” He notes.

“Hey, Shuichi. You hear them too, right? The weird voices that tell you what to do.”

He nods.

“What are yours like?”

He smiles nervously.

“There’s too many to summarise right now.”

“What’s the weirdest one, then?”

“I’m...gonna have to go with the one that tries to convince me to flirt with every girl that exists.”

"That...*is* pretty weird."

"What about you, then?"

"Mine would be a kind of shivery feeling that tells me stuff."

Shuichi smiles.

"We should probably go to bed for now. Get ready for tomorrow - when Rantaro comes back."

"Wait, he already reached Hope's Peak?"

Shuichi shakes his head.

"No, he just decided to come back on a whim. He says he'll meet us tomorrow morning - at 7."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kaede." He smiles, before entering the bathroom and going into his room.

Hey, why did you guys think about questioning Tsumugi, by the way? You guys kinda...came out of nowhere with that idea.

Logic - We had another plan - which was to extensively question the person who was the main part of the plot - Mukuro.

Well...that didn't really work, did it? She got away...

Logic - Yeah. But since no one else really had an impact - the answer was obvious. Look for someone who *wasn't* the main part of the plot - someone like Tsumugi or Korekiyo. They might be able to give us some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters have just been set up for the next few chapters so far...
> 
> We're actually nearing the end now. With that being said - one mystery will probably remain unsolved by the end. (At least, by the characters. You guys could probably figure it out.)


	49. Tsumugi Shirogane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wake up in a haze, looking around the room in the Whirling, foggy and light.

I wake up in a haze, looking around the room in the Whirling, foggy and light.

Volition - The test?

Inland Empire - Yes.

I walk out of my room and downstairs, where the place is entirely empty.

Reaction Speed - Something’s wrong.

I noticed…

I walk out the door, and immediately spot large red graffiti on the ground.

Perception (Sight) - ‘UN JOUR JE SERAI DE RETOUR PRÈS DE TOI’

Encyclopedia - One day - I will return to your side.

Logic - Who would do this?

Inland Empire - No one. Not here.

I shake my head, and continue walking towards the coast.

Logic - It’s like a ghost town…

Shivers - You walk past the waterlock, and into the hazy coastside. Walking up a small dirt path - past the fishing village, past the brown river, and towards…

Inland Empire - The Boardwalk.

Perception (Sight) - The first thing you see - at the edge - past the broken wooden planks.

Esprit De Corps - Shuichi Saihara.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Detection - Be careful, Detective!

“So...everything...up till now…” I look at Tsumugi.

“Was a lie. All of it - just a bunch of lies.” She smiles back.

“Well, that is, if you decide to call *fiction* a lie. Not quite right, in my opinion.” She pushes her glasses up.

Rationality - E-Everything was...fictional? But…

“Then...Kaede…”

“Oh, she was one of the bigger lies actually. You won’t believe what she said at the auditions. What was it again? ‘I don’t have any faith in humanity.’ Something like that.”

W-Wait...if this is the regret I’m having…

Deduction - Doesn’t that mean…

That this happened before?

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Conceptualization - Laying next to the bench…

Empathy - Gone.

“Shuichi…”

He turns to face me, slightly bloodied.

“Hey there...Kaede.”

Perception (Hearing) - It isn’t his voice that comes out. It’s a female...

“A-Are you alright?!” I quickly run over, kneeling down.

“I-I can still help you!”

Physical Instrument (Failed) - You forcefully press down on the wound, trying to stop the pink blood from flowing.

“It’s not working, Kaede.”

Physical Instrument - You press harder, as the blood continues dripping out.

“You need to give up…”

Physical Instrument - You slowly let go, removing your hands from the wound.

Esprit De Corps - The body looks away, trying not to look at you.

“What...happened?”

“I don’t know. I’m not her.”

“Sayaka…”

“I was her at one point. But now I’m...this. I took her place - and I’ll slowly eat away at your mind...with no choice in the matter…”

Perception (Sight) - The light around you dims, as the day goes on.

Inland Empire - “There was a bow collector…”

The body shakes their head sadly.

“That was a bus, Kaede. The same one Makoto and I met in…”

“You shouldn’t be able to remember that.” The body looks down at their bloodied hand.

Shivers - All the roads miss her footsteps. All the people miss *her* - when she’s gone.

Volition (Failed) - Damn it...I lied. I’m useless…I just want you to mess yourself up...like the rest...

“You could’ve saved me, you know…” The body pulls their cap down.

Savoir Faire (Failed) - How?!

“When she had her back turned...holding the knife in hand…”

Reaction Speed - “She?”

“Her. The killer…”

Logic (Failed) - We can’t figure it out…

Encyclopedia (Failed) - I don’t remember…

Rhetoric (Failed) - We couldn’t persuade her…

Drama (Failed) - We couldn’t lie to her…

Conceptualization (Failed) - We weren’t creative enough…

Visual Calculus (Failed) - We weren’t *smart* enough.

“B-But...I couldn’t…”

“Yes, you could have. You had Takumi there, too.”

Encyclopedia - Takumi Hijirihara.

Esprit De Corps (Failed) - He failed.

Suggestion (Failed) - “Will we ever see each other again?”

“I won’t be seeing you. But you can still see me.” The body replies.

“How…?”

“Kaede...can’t you tell? This is a dream. I’m already gone...it’s been...what, a week? Maybe a bit less? Since I’ve died…”

“How do I...see you, then?”

“At this time. Tomorrow night. You always have this dream. At least two times a week - in your experience. You just keep on trying to save me - and…”

Logic - It never works…

Shivers - THE NIGHTMARES YOU HAD. THEY WERE KEEPING YOU - FROM THIS.

The body looks up into the sky, as you hold on to their hand.

“Will you go out there, again?” They look north, towards the pale.

Inland Empire - Twisting and churning.

“Or will you overcome me? I’m curious…”

W-Wait...I don’t want to say those words.

Volition (Failed) - You have to.

Conceptualization (Failed) - You must.

Logic (Failed) - There is no other option.

Inland Empire - (Literally). After all - all these are to you - are dialogue trees, are they not? Since you started.

B-But…

Inland Empire (Failed) - “I’ll…”

Endurance (Failed) - “see…”

Pain Threshold (Failed) - “you…”

Volition - “Tom-”

Esprit De Corps - Don’t take my mistakes as yours too, okay?

Volition (Success) - Wait, what are we doing?! No! Wake up right now, Kaede!

Huh? But..how?

Volition - Pinch yourself, or something! We can overcome this. We...we don’t have to keep repeating the same cycle over and over and over again! We don’t have to drown ourselves in the pale again. We don’t have to go through the pain *again*.

Encyclopedia - But...that’s just a common misconception…

Volition - We need to try it! Try anything!

I lightly pinch myself on the cheek.

Pain Threshold - H-Huh? There’s no pain…

Wait, we’re asleep - but she’s awake. Hey! Brain!

I got it...

Suddenly, I sit up from the bed, eyes wide and in cold sweat.

Pain Threshold - Your throat feels hoarse. You feel sore all over. You must’ve really thrashed in your sleep.

I let out a loud sigh of relief.

“It worked…”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I grab the small black metallic box, which now has a blinking light on the top right and a bit of writing on the side.

‘The Reader’.

Deduction - Of your regrets? What’s the point?

P-Perhaps they wanted to correct something? Something they forgot?

Deduction (Success) - Of course. With ‘The Writer’ - which could change reality itself, you could ‘rewrite’ your regrets. For them to be more tragic…

Or to fix them…

Ingenuity - Well, considering the dream we just had…

Recollection - Your view changes to that of the overgrown school - with Tsumugi laughing maniacally, as you fall in despair.

Abstraction - We have some questions for Tsumugi, do we not?

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I look at my Monopad, trying to check the time.

Perception (Sight) - The light from the screen makes you flinch, but it’s readable. 

5:53 AM

Logic - Rantaro said he’d be here at 7. You have an hour left.

I stand up from the bed, feeling a light headache coming on.

“I’ll...take a shower, for now…”

Volition - Let’s clear our head a bit…

Esprit De Corps - Is Shuichi awake?

Kinship - Yup. He woke up exactly the same time as you.

I let out another sigh, watching the water fill the tub.

I can still remember the dream…

Encyclopedia - Probably the anxiety in the dream and before sleeping. It happens.

Rhetoric -...Is that what she meant by ‘not all of it was your fault’? Because you kept having that nightmare - doomed in a cycle, forever to fail?

Volition - She tried to bring you out of it…

Esprit De Corps - It worked then, didn't it?

I get out of the bathtub slowly, and start draining it.

Redressing, I leave the room, locking the door behind me and walking down the stairs, to find Shuichi writing something in his notebook.

6:01 AM

“Shuichi...we still have an hour, don’t we?” I ask.

He nods.

“We have a bit of time. Why?”

“I need to talk to Tsumugi.”

He nods in response, with no sign of surprise on his face.

Kinship - We have something to ask her too.

“I have to too. We should get going now - the walk to the fishing village is a while.”

6:03 AM

As we exit the Whirling, I look up.

“It’s raining…*again*.”

Shuichi nods.

“Winter’s coming soon. It’s getting colder. It’ll snow soon.”

THOUGHT COMPLETE

Illness

_*Luminary of the Stars*, huh. Interesting title - more interesting story. Every night - he coughs out blood, somewhere in the grass, somewhere in the toilet, maybe even in his jacket. His illness - it’s killing him. And *you* have to save him. Or let him die._

+1 Empathy  
+1 Esprit De Corps  
+1 Volition  
+1 Savoir Faire  
-1 Logic  
-1 Conceptualization  
-1 Drama

“Shuichi…”

He looks at me, while we walk across the water lock.

“What is it?”

“...Nevermind. We can talk about it later.”

6:12 AM

“Wh-What happened? You’re limping…” Tsumugi says, slightly worried.

Conceptualization - You’re not limping. You’re *you*.

I laugh nervously.

“I...got shot.”

“I heard the shots, but…” She places her hands over her skirt.

“I’m fine now, though.” I smile.

She nods.

Suggestion - Ask her - straight up. This woman doesn’t deal in roundabouts.

“Tsumugi. You’re not who you say you are, right?” I ask.

Her eyes widen a slight bit.

“What do you mean? I’m just plain old me.”

Rhetoric - She gave you the runaround.

“There’s something you’re not telling us.” Shuichi covers his mouth with his hand.

“Hey...what’s wrong?” She asks.

“Perhaps, something like maybe we’re in a completely fictional world?” He asks.

Logic - Gotcha.

“H-Hold on. This is a bit sudden. I don’t understand.” She says, sweating a little.

“Tsumugi, you’re hiding something from us.” I point at her.

“Don’t be like that, you two. Do you really think I killed anyone? I only came here yesterday…”

Rhetoric - She’s set up a wall. This one’s tough.

Rhetoric (Failed) - Impossible, actually. We can’t break through this.

“There’s just no way I did anything!” She points.

“No, that’s wrong.” Shuichi looks at his Monopad.

“You say you’ve been here for only two days - but you’ve been here for longer, haven’t you? After all…”

He taps on a Truth Bullet.

“You were working on a project here - ‘The Writer’.”

“You were here from months ago.”

I narrow my eyes at Tsumugi.

“Why are you lying to us?”

Reaction Speed - Wait! Careful! She’s reaching for something behind her back!

“Hey, wait!” Shuichi yells.

Tsumugi pulls out a green flashlight and turns it on.

Perception (Sight) - The world turns. All around you - orange and yellow. A helix flies past, and then...black. Before…

‘DANGANRONPA V3 - KILLING HARMONY’


	50. The Boat Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s...snowing, outside…”

“I-I remember…” I look over to Shuichi, who simply clenches the breast pocket on his uniform, breathing out.

Conceptualization - Well, I suppose that wasn't a *total* failure.

Logic - Hey! This gave us information. 

I pick myself up from the ground, before offering Shuichi my hand, which he takes.

“W-We were trapped in the Ultimate Academy...then…”

Shuichi nods.

“Then - the Death Road of Despair we found underground. We somehow got out, with you leading us to the exit…”

“Then everything just...blacks out?” I ask.

Inland Empire - A blackout. That’s funny...

He nods again.

“Same here. But…”

Empathy - He seems a bit uneasy. Sweat drips.

“I don’t think that’s exactly how things went…”

Esprit De Corps - Not *think*. He *knows* that’s not how it went.

Esprit De Corps - It almost feels like...he's hiding something from you. Something dark. Something grim.

“What do you mean?”

He shakes his head.

“Nevermind.” He looks around.

"She's gone..." Shuichi mutters.

Logic - "I...I don't think we'll be catching up to her anytime soon..." You smile a bit.

He pulls up his Monopad.

6:17 AM

“It doesn’t look like we were out for very long…”

“We still have about an hour to work with...we haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have we?”

“Ah, crap! I nearly forgot! What about Maki and Kaito?” I ask in a hurry.

“I told Kaito to take the long way with Maki - through Precinct 41 to the airships in the cars. They’ll arrive back in Japan at around the same time as us.”

“There’s nothing you don’t plan for, huh?” I smile.

“But...will they really be alright by themselves?”

Shuichi nods.

“They’ll be fine.”

Perception (Sight) - On the ground, the green flashlight lies - full of computer components and wires.

Inland Empire - A Flashback light.

“I’ll grab this for now…” I put it into my backpack.

Inland Empire - You swear that you see the world itself warping for a second, before returning to normal.

Shivers (Success) - A woman and a man sit in a dark room - a dead body in the corner, with a syringe lying next to it. The woman inspects a pistol, loading it.

Shivers - “Are we ready?” The black-haired woman asks.

Shivers - The large man in an orange suit and a green necktie nods.

Shivers - “I won’t have to lie anymore. It’s likely that Kaede and Shuichi will finish the case by tomorrow.”

Shivers - “Is that so…” The woman places the pistol on the table.

Shivers - “I even left a gift for them. A red thread.” 

Shivers - “Sorry. I don’t really work well with people. That’s my sister’s job.” The woman picks up a small journal off the ground.

Shivers - “I can’t wait to see you again...”

Shivers - Suddenly, there’s a howl - not of the wind, but of the wilderness.

Shivers - “We need to set up for tonight. Come on.”

6:27 AM

An awkward silence permeates the air once again - with Shuichi and I simply eating a small breakfast.

Endurance - I still don’t understand how I didn't notice…

“Shuichi, Rantaro said he’d meet us at the Fishing Village, right?”

Shuichi shakes his head.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - In the pale, he taps his foot sitting down, with Kirumi at the helm.

Esprit De Corps - “I heard something bad went down at Martinaise.” He looks at his Monopad’s messenger.

Esprit De Corps - Kirumi turns back to him. “Rantaro, would you like for us to return? Hope’s Peak did tell me to place your requests over the school’s.”

Esprit De Corps - The man thinks for a moment, before nodding.

Esprit De Corps - “Let’s head back. At the waterfront.”

“Rantaro will probably meet us on the waterfront. Probably at where we saw him last time - past Angie.” Shuichi answers, with his hand slightly raised.

“I guess that makes sense…” I nod to myself.

“Hey...Shuichi.” I pull out my Monopad.

“What is it?”

“You’re...not telling me something, right?”

“I-I mean…” He scratches the side of his head.

“It’s fine. I’m not scolding you or anything.” I explain.

Kinship - Please don’t press him on this. He’s doing this for *your* sake.

“It’s just…”

Inland Empire - The truth only hurts people. What’s the point?

Esprit De Corps - It’s a wonder he hasn’t gone back to wearing his cap.

I look outside the window.

“It’s...snowing, outside…”

Shuichi nods.

“Winter’s about to start…”

Didn't you…

Shivers - YES. IF YOU WANT TO - YOU CAN HEAD BACK.

I finish up my breakfast.

“Hey, Shuichi. I’m gonna go for a bit. I’ll see you on the waterfront.”

“H-Huh? Alright…”

Esprit De Corps - I hope I didn't make her angry…

I start walking towards the coast. Snow falls on my backpack, as I lightly shake it off.

Approaching the fishing village, I feel a chill.

Shivers - Winter slowly grips onto Revachol. Flecking wet snow from above you.

Perception (Sight) - The snow falls lazily. The beach sand paler. The rust-coloured sewage running off…

Encyclopedia - To think it was raining so much the past few days…

Shivers - Another shiver runs down your spine. The sweater doesn’t do much to protect you from the cold. 

Shivers - West of here, Coal City stands - mines, children and artefacts. Two kilometres underground.

Shivers - East - the canal you crossed to get here. Beyond *that*, Martinaise. Laughter. Lights. A black box. A fenced-off yard. 

Shivers - North - a church, where your friends stay. Performing - for her sake.

Inland Empire - Sayaka sits next to them, tapping her foot to the rhythm and mouthing lyrics that will never make a sound.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - Sayaka lays next to the bench. A woman with black, bobbed hair slowly walks away, wiping the blood off her face. She’s holding onto a hunting knife - with black gloves.

Shivers - THE BLACK GLOVES HIDE A SMALL TATTOO.

Inland Empire - Fenrir.

M-Mukuro?

Shivers - South. The strangest one. The raised motorway. 8/81. Vehicles woosh past. Day and night. People live beneath them. Two days ago - it was a lonesome road.

Inland Empire - There! That! You see?! The world *changed*! The fundamentals of *reality*.

W-What?

Volition - Calm down. We’re probably...misremembering something.

Shivers - Past that - the Pox. And past *that* - Precinct 41.

I lightly brush the snow off of me.

What...time is it?

6:41 AM

Shivers - TIME TO GET BACK TO WORK, DETECTIVE.

I silently nod to myself, before walking towards the waterfront’s pier.

6:53 AM

As I’m on my way to the pier, I notice Shuichi, who’s just left the Whirling.

“Shuichi - I think I know who killed Sayaka.”

His eyes widen a slight bit in surprise.

“W-Who?”

“Mukuro Ikusaba.”

He places his finger under his chin.

“It...does make sense. That’s why she ran - to avoid being questioned about *Sayaka’s* murder.”

“But what makes you think so?” He asks.

Kinship - After all, possibility does not mean plausibility.

How do I...explain *that*? Do I just go ‘The city told me’? That’d make me sound crazy!

Inland Empire - “It was...a gut feeling.”

He lightly shakes his head, sweating a little.

“Kaede...we can’t decide who the killer is just off a gut feeling…”

“I...I know, but still...” I look away.

Shuichi looks at his Monopad.

“Rantaro and Kirumi are waiting for us. We should get going, Kaede.”

7:02 AM

Perception (Hearing) - “They’re here.” You hear Kirumi’s voice, as you walk down the stairs.

Rantaro narrows his eyes at me.

“What happened to your leg? You’re injured, and you don't even have a bandage or anything.” Kirumi says worriedly.

Perception (Sight) - You look down, and notice an incredibly small - but noticeable red stain on your stocking.

Authority - She almost sounds like she’s reprimanding you - for getting yourself hurt.

“I-It’s nothing…” I grip on my left arm.

“Is this from the shootout?” Rantaro crosses his arms.

Shuichi nods.

“How did you know about it?”

“Maki told me.”

“Is that why...you were on the way back?” Shuichi asks.

Rantaro nods.

“It’s good she did too. Cause now - you guys need *our* help.”

“Yeah…” Shuichi’s eyes turn to the islet in the bay.

“But...are you sure you want to head over *now*? We only have enough time for a one-way trip to Hope’s Peak.” Rantaro scratches the back of his head.

Savoir Faire - Have you made the necessary preparations? Closed all your accounts? Balanced your sheet?

Inland Empire - Once you get on that sloop - that’s it. With that being said - Mukuro cannot be found here. Not anymore. There isn’t much left to do here. The problems resolve themselves. Not because of luck.

Esprit De Corps - But because *you’re* you.

“...Let’s get going, Shuichi.” I nod.

7:06 AM

With Rantaro sitting next to the Rudder of the sloop, the wind slowly blows towards the islet. 

[Perception (Hearing) - A small tune plays in your head.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCmKXZZCBgQ)

From the waterfront, we pass by the coast - watching the fishing village past by.

Perception (Sight) - Then, the ice. Then - the church.

As we slowly approach the islet, sailing on rust-colored water - I look behind us - and see a beautiful view of Martinaise, with the sun slowly rising.

Perception (Sight) - Helicopters in the air - carrying cargo. You look left - the waterfront, the pier you guys came from. 

Esprit De Corps - “Shuichi...you didn't pay me one last visit! Now your family is cursed!” You hear Angie mutter.

Perception (Sight) - Then - you see the cranes of the Industrial Harbour. Past that - the streets you walked in, with the Whirling-In-Rags and Doomed Commercial Area.

Esprit De Corps - “Master!” Touko walks into the Whirling, hand over her chest.

Esprit De Corps - “It’s just us two here now. No one’s coming back after that shooting.” She presses her fingertips together.

Esprit De Corps - Byakuya sneers.

Esprit De Corps - Upstairs, Maki shakes Kaito awake.

Esprit De Corps - “Come on, Kaito. Time to move. We need to get both ours and Shuichi’s cars back to Hope’s Peak.”

Esprit De Corps - “Alright! Let’s get going, then!” Kaito bumps his fists, before coughing a bit.

Perception (Sight) - After that, the canal you crossed to the coast on. Then...the fishing village.

Esprit De Corps - “Gonta no understand…but if Kiibo and Shuichi says, must be true!” Gonta smiles.

Esprit De Corps - Kiibo smiles back. “Yeah. Let’s head back to Hope’s Peak, Gonta. She already left, anyways.”

Esprit De Corps - “What are you two virgins sneakin’ around for?!” Miu laughs.

Esprit De Corps - “Ah! Miu!” Kiibo raises both his hands in defense and surprise, before accidentally blinding Gonta and Miu.

Perception (Sight) - Then, the MI building and the Church.

Esprit De Corps - “A 2mm hole in the world…” Kirigiri looks up.

Esprit De Corps - “Yeah, or at least that’s what she said. I didn't really get what they were talking about…” Leon scratches the back of his head.

Esprit De Corps - The purple-haired woman nods to herself.

Esprit De Corps - She pulls out a phone, and starts dialing the number of Precinct 57.

The sloop comes to a slow stop, as we reach the edge of the islet, a dark gray concrete.

Perception (Hearing) - A flock of quails take off in the distance.

Shivers - There is very little wind *here*. The ghost is standing still. The cliffs above you…

“Let’s go…” Shuichi whispers.

“We should keep two people here. Having four on the islet at the same time will cause too much noise.”

Rantaro and Kirumi nod.

“We’ll stay here, then. You guys can go on ahead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're really close to the end now. I'm pretty sure I can finish this up in time - though there's going to be one very important loose end.


	51. The Journal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We should start heading up…” Shuichi points towards a set of rusted stairs, leading up to a ruined flak tower on the cliffside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hefty spoilers for Danganronpa Zero ahead!

7:16 AM

Shuichi and I carefully step on the grey concrete.

Perception (Sight) - All around you - snow, reeds and a few dead trees. The ground is brown like on the coast - and above you, sheet metal buildings.

Perception (Smell) - A trace...of *mazut* in the air.

Perception (Sight) - On your left, a rusted chain trails off into the ocean - back to the depot at Land’s End.

Inland Empire - One Last Door.

“Shuichi...the chain here leads back to the coast…”

“Ah...you’re right…” He places a finger under his chin.

“This islet was used by the Revolution...so…”

“Maybe they used it to bring munitions to the island? Along with supplies. We saw the few weapon caches back in Martinaise…”

Logic - Makes sense.

Perception (Sight) - A black trail follows the chain, oozing out of the underside of the rusted metal tower.

Logic - Oil. Probably from a leaking fuel barrel...somewhere.

“We should start heading up…” Shuichi points towards a set of rusted stairs, leading up to a ruined flak tower on the cliffside.

I nod, and start walking up the aging stairs slowly, with Shuichi following behind me.

Pain Threshold - Your leg aches lightly. You should be fine...maybe if you don’t rush it. But remember - you haven’t bandaged your leg yet after your shower.

Encyclopedia - Careful. Make sure not to let your leg hit anything - or rather, touch. The rust may cause tetanus. Though...that’s not quite ri-

Volition - We get it! You can stop, now.

Shivers - Long ago - soldiers ran up these stairs.

As we reach the top, I look around the islet.

Perception (Sight) - Everywhere. More dead trees. More reeds. On your right, a stack of large concrete rectangles make a staircase up to the flak tower.

Perception (Sight) - The door is metallic - turning orange. It’s wide open.

Shivers - Warm air. It’s warmer in there - than out here.

“Shuichi...the entrance.” I whisper.

He nods, pulling out his pistol carefully.

“I’ll take lead...careful, Kaede.”

As we approach the door, I look over his shoulder a slight bit to see inside.

Perception (Sight) - Nothing out of place. The room is large. You’re on a second floor, on a platform. There is a large piece of machinery lying in the middle of the room.

Encyclopedia - Twin cannons. That was for artillery.

He carefully walks into the room.

Perception (Sight) - On the right, the wall collapsed a bit, letting a bit of sunlight in.

We walk into the room, and start looking around the second floor. 

Shuichi looks over the railings on the platform, looking for anything on the first floor.

I approach a small cylindrical machine, resting on the platform - before Shuichi lets out a loud yelp. 

“Shuichi?!” I turn around, to see him on the ground.

“I tripped on the cables...”

Perception (Sight) - Next to the machine - there are yellow cables, running down south-east.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“Be careful…”

Interfacing - You’re looking at a Micogrid generator.

Perception (Hearing) - The machine gives off a quiet rattle - like an old war horse.

Perception (Sight) - Makeshift electrical wiring runs out of its side - across the floor. The cables disappear after a while - into a wall on your right.

He stands back up, and looks at the generator, placing his hand on it.

Interfacing - Checking for warmth.

“Someone’s been here recently…the generator’s on.” He says worriedly.

“They’ve been maintaining it too - the wires are repaired…”

I decide to look around the rest of the tower, and walk up a small set of stairs that lead up to a small room.

Perception (Sight) - On your right, there’s a greasy old spring mattress. You can see white linen and a pillow under a blanket.

Shuichi inspects the bed.

“The linen is fresh...washed recently…”

“How recently?”

“Maybe about...three days?”

Turning left, I notice a small stack of reading materials.

Conceptualization - Soft covers. Serialized detective stories. Small collection of magazines talking about ‘Ultimate Fashionista Junko Enoshima’.

“Shuichi...there are reading materials - here…” I point.

Conceptualization - These are the materials of someone who’s uninvolved in the world. 

Inland Empire - Is that so...

“Perhaps...there’s something useful?” He suggests.

Conceptualization (Success) - You sift through the materials - until under the mess, you find what looks like a poster for the Ultimate Despair.

“It’s a poster for the Ultimate Despair…” I hold it up.

Shuichi nods.

“Perhaps...the person here is involved with them.” He concludes.

Left of the reading materials, there’s a small stove, with a frying pan on it.

“A survivor’s kitchen…” Shuichi notes.

Perception (Sight) - On your right, there’s a poster of Hope’s Peak Academy burning up, with the words ‘JOIN THE PARADE!’ plastered onto it with a white font.

Perception (Sight) - The last thing of note here - behind you, is a flight of stairs, leading down to the first floor.

“Shuichi, we should probably head down.”

“Ah...yeah.” He nods.

Perception (Sight) - These stairs aren’t as old as the other flight at the landing.

We inch our way down the stairs, with Shuichi leading the way.

He turns right immediately, inspecting a door.

Perception (Sight) - A small metal door - nested in a larger, heavy steel blast door. There’s a keyhole above the handle, though it’s small.

“What...do you think is on the other side?” I ask.

“Probably another part of the island? The lock still looks usable…” He squints.

“How do we open it, then?”

“I...don’t think we can.” He smiles nervously.

Interfacing - He’s right. It’s better to open the door’s *big brother*. A powerful engine hangs under you. There’s probably the controls for the blast door.

Perception (Sight) - Rust peels off the door.

Visual Calculus - It probably weighs more than 500 pounds.

“Do you see any controls anywhere, Shuichi?”

He thinks for a moment.

“I think there’s a console south-east…”

“Alright, let’s go check there first, then!”

I walk through the messy and dirty room, towards the south-eastern corner.

Perception (Sight) - There! On your left. Green paint flaking off the aluminium. A row of switches. That’s it!

I approach the green console.

Interfacing - The console connects to the generator upstairs. Alright - turn the ‘Emergency - open!’ switch.

I turn the switch, and hear a series of clicks and loud clacks.

“You found the switch?” Shuichi asks.

“Yeah!”

Shivers - A thin wisp of smoke rises from a fire pit. The wind picks up slowly - but then dies down.

Inland Empire - Behind you - another wide open metal door. It leads out to another part of the island. Investigate that first.

“Shuichi - before we go there…” I point behind me.

“There’s another door there that’s open. I think we should investigate that area first…”

He nods in response.

“Sure. We have a lot of time left…”

7:23 AM

“We’re outside again…” Shuichi says to himself.

“Yeah. This is a different part of the island though.” I look right, and see Rantaro’s sloop.

“Let’s look around for a bit, Shuichi!”

He nods.

I walk through the yellow reeds, and spot a small half-collapsed structure.

Visual Calculus - Looks like the roof caved in.

I walk in through where a door used to be - where it is now detached from the frame.

“Careful, Kaede - the structure is collapsing.” He says worriedly.

I only nod in response, looking around the room while Shuichi carefully follows me in.

Perception (Sight) - There’s a mattress here - on a concrete slab. Half-covered by a crumbling roof. At the head of the mattress - double embrasures. Firing slits - like two eyes in the wall. Like a little window...

“Kaede...isn’t this B triple prime?” Shuichi asks.

Visual Calculus - “Yes.”

Visual Calculus - You step slightly closer.

“This is a good place to shoot from.”  
I lightly touch the concrete, feeling a strange grimy and old feeling.

Logic - This was cleaned *years* ago.

I lean on the mattress, looking out.

Inland Empire - Trepidation. A small...tingle.

Visual Calculus - The world is shaded by a dim blue once again. The martinaise coastline opens up in the square in front of you. A tiny landscape painting - one kilometre across the water. The ruins are familiar.

Visual Calculus - On the right - The collapsed buildings - and the Doomed Commercial Area.

Visual Calculus - On the left - Capeside Apartments and the pier.

Visual Calculus - And - between the two...

Visual Calculus - The box shaped silhouette of the Whirling-In-Rags. A small fleck of white on the rooftop - the upstairs window of Junko’s room in the rain reflects light.

“Shuichi - I think we got it...there’s a line of sight from here into Junko’s room!”

He looks out.

“Through the scope of a rifle...the shooter would lie on the mattress, barrel resting on the embrasure…”

Hand/Eye Coordination - Cheek against the cheek rest. Hand on the hair trigger. On a calm day like this - the shot would be easy to hit.

“We found it, Shuichi! The origin of the shot!”

Visual Calculus - Affirmative, detective.

He smiles.

“Finally.”

Logic - “Shuichi...do you think the shooter could still be...here?”

“On...the island?” He looks behind him.

“It’s possible…”

“We should move then, shouldn’t we?” I ask.

He nods.

“Let’s do one final check. Anything in here you think we could’ve missed?”

Perception - Hmm…

Perception (Smell) - A...hint of vanilla in the air.

“Shuichi...I think I can smell something.”

Perception (Success) - Under the mattress - that’s where the smell’s coming from.

I look under the mattress, lifting it a bit.

Perception (Sight) - White notebook, with a thick black line on the side.

I reach in to grab the book.

‘Ryoko Otonashi’s Memory Notebook’

“Shuichi...a notebook.” Shuichi looks over my shoulder.

“We should probably open this up, shouldn’t we?”

He nods.

Perception - The journal is relatively thin. A regular notebook, cover made out of what looks and feels like leather.

I flip open the page.

Perception - The pages have all been filled.

Interfacing - The handwriting is neat. Fairly clean. Confident - and nice to look at.

‘When you wake and open this journal up, this is the reminder that your name is Ryoko Otonashi. Don’t forget it! This might be confusing at first - but you’ll get used to it.’

Empathy - How horrible...I can only imagine the pain of going through *that*.

‘You should probably write down the stuff you do here. That being said - there’s not *much* to do here. All I can tell you is - wait for two people that seem to be investigating a case. Until then, fill the rest of these pages up, yeah? I’ll see you in a bit!’

I flip to the next page.

‘So...I woke up on this island with nothing but a pen and this notebook. And...it seems like my name is Otonashi Ryoko? I...think? I guess I should keep writing…’

“Ryoko Otonashi…” Shuichi murmurs to himself.

“What is it, Shuichi? Did you figure something out?”

He shakes his head.

“Oh, no. I was just...thinking about something.”

‘I managed to set up a small kitchen today!’

Interfacing - The pages continue like this, with a few interesting notes in between like when two children somehow arrived on the island.

Interfacing - But then...a quarter of the way through...the writing becomes weirder.

“Shuichi...are you seeing this?”

“Yes…” He nods.

‘I am Ryoko Otonashi. Nothing to do with me. Nothing to do with me. Nothing to do with me...’

I continue flipping through the pages, hoping for *some* change in the writing.

Interfacing - Three quarters of the way through…

Interfacing - This goes on for a while, until the writing becomes illegible. Words crossed and written over each other. Messy, scared.

“W-What happened here?” I mutter, slightly creeped out.

Shuichi shakes his head.

“Perhaps...someone losing their grip on reality.”

Kinship - He feels sympathy. How much hell did this person go through?

“I can’t even read it anymore…” I squint.

Shuichi sweats nervously.

Kinship - This can't end well.

Interfacing - We’re nearing the end.

Interfacing (Success) - On the very last page - you can read a slight bit of the mess.

Interfacing - It reads - ‘I̷̎̊͑͋͜͠Ǎ̵̡̩̟̜̣̘̪͛͊̉̄͛̓̉͆̊̋͛̔̂̊̈́̽̆͛̎̊͗͋̽͐̋͆̋͂͝͠͝ͅͅM̷̛͓͗͗͌̂̒̄͗̅̋̓̿̐̓̕͠J̶̨̨̛̛̯͈̘̻̹̯͖̗͙͓̙̼̟̱̪̼̙͔̟͓̺̦̤͇̾̒̓̆́̃̊̎̑̔͂̂͊͑̏͆͋̀̄͗̌̕̕͠͠ͅŲ̶̡̨̲͎͇͕̠͓̹̝̭͍̻̮͇̃̌̇̈̆̍͊̈̆̂̆̚N̴̢̞̝͇̦̗̓͒̾̍̊̀̐̈́͂͆̓͂̑̿́͘͝K̵̛͉̙̪͍̥͕̹̦̲̜̼̣̥̻͇͈̤͈̞̭̱̳͖̪̿͛̐̃̓̏͂͛̾̚͜͝Ȏ̴̡̼͔̜̲̥͖̬̰̫̦̣̙̜̲̾̉̔́͋̀̋̂̈̅̈́̑͋̎͗̕̚̕͝E̵̡̛̛̺̘̗͙̻̰̘̪̳̠͋̒̄̒̿̈́̃̂̈́̽͂̍̔̋̚̕̚͜͝͝N̶̛̜͚͎͎̱̹̫̙̬̲̯̠̜̺̻͍̣͇̹̰̩̗̳̯͍̗̱̝̰̣̘̑̈́͌͊̅̑̈́̄͂̂̿̋̉̒̿̌̓͗̈͌̐͂̐̍̒̄͋͜͝͝͝͝͠ͅͅƠ̵̧̪̻̗̥̤͕̦̘͇͌́̒͌̎͊̏̂̃͌̍̐̈́̈́̋̍̌͗̈̾̉̇̎̅̕̕Ș̷̢̼̩̺̯̣̫̆͂̈́͛͗̔́̀̅͗͒͆͋̕̚͝ͅḨ̶̛͎͙͉̗̞̬͕̭̞̊̍̿̃͆͌̓̈́͐̈́̀̎͒͑̑̔̓̋̚ͅĮ̷̪̻͍͖̺̰͓͈̪͔͇̹̜̝͒̆̈̾͗̏̔̈͑͋̊̊̌͛͒̆̅̈́̑̈́̌͜͠ͅͅM̸̧̧̛̟̭͉̪͙̝̳̹͓͍͖̼̼̺͓̯̹̭͕͉̺̯͇̠͖͖̙͈͍̣͓͔͍͂͌̊͆͌͊͛̃̓̌A̷̡̖̹͓̻̠̯͉͚̯͈̺̪͈̟͍̹̠̟̣̬͉͉̖͔̖̞̬̭̟̩̺̻̓̽̈́̋̒̒̌̃̆̊͆̑̌̿̐͂́̓̆͊̌͋̓͊͜͝͠͠͠͝’

“I...am Junko Enoshima?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read Zero yet (which I don't blame you for) - you're probably pretty confused. Probably. It'll...*hopefully* be explained by next chapter? Or maybe by the epilogue. Thanks for reading this chapter!


	52. The Phasmid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I...am I going insane?”

7:27 AM

Esprit De Corps - Byakuya pushes his glasses up, sweating a little.

Esprit De Corps - “Are you sure about this? The fact that you even *thought* of approaching me...”

Esprit De Corps - Kyoko nods.

Esprit De Corps - “Something’s going on, Byakuya. And we’re investigating it with or without you. So, are you joining - or not?”

Esprit De Corps - “Tch…” Byakuya looks away.

Esprit De Corps - “Fine. I suppose I’ll bother listening. But don’t forget - I will have no tolerance for us losing.”

Esprit De Corps - “So, tell me about this special task force of yours.”

“I am Junko Enoshima…” Shuichi repeats.

“What...does that mean?” He murmurs to himself.

Empathy - Unsettled.

Logic - Perhaps...this journal once belonged to her?

Rhetoric - Well, either way - no point crying over spilt milk. She’s gone now.

Inland Empire - We’ll see her again. Soon.

“It...doesn’t matter right now, I think.” I unzip my bag, placing the notebook in.

“We’ll figure it out sooner or later, right?” I smile.

Inland Empire - You feel eyes on your back. Someone's watching you...but you can’t tell from where…

“Shuichi...someone’s here.” I whisper.

“...” Shuichi simply looks around, pistol in hand.

Empathy - He believes you.

Kinship - Of course he does, you dolt.

“Let’s be careful.” He answers quietly.

I stand up, zipping the bag back up and putting it on.

“We should get going…”

He nods.

We quickly walk back towards the flak tower, and enter through the metal door.

As we walk in, my eyes gravitate towards the wide open blast door.

“We should head there next, shouldn’t we?” I point.

He nods again.

“Yeah. If someone was watching us from somewhere…” He places his finger under his chin.

“That’d be where.”

We approach the door, walking down some stairs. 

Perception (Sight) - A bit of light comes through the side.

“Shuichi! A large hole in the wall, there…”

He turns to where I’m looking.

“You’re right…” He peeks out a bit.

“It leads outside - another part of the island...”

We walk out, where we find more and more reeds - and snow.

Perception (Sight) - The reeds only get bigger. On your left - the river turns murky brown. Through the translucent chalked water, you can see kelp at the bottom, moving ever so slightly, like weeds in the wind.

We walk down a trail, following a small path on the back side of the islet.

Perception (Sight) - The reeds turn into grass here…

Inland Empire - Small white flowers blossom all around you…

Visual Calculus - On your right, is the collapsed structure with the mattress.

Perception (Sight) - Further down, the brown turns into a greenish black.

We walk further down the trail, seeing a small campfire and...a woman, sitting down on a log, looking downwards.

Inland Empire - And there she is. Told you we’d see her soon.

Hand/Eye Coordination - Careful! There’s a gun, laying next to the log. A rifle. She can’t reach over for it yet, but still…

“Shuichi...someone’s there, with a rifle.” I point, whispering.

He nods carefully.

Perception (Sight) - What model is it?

Hand/Eye Coordination - A poor man’s rifle? It looks like a sniper rifle...a bolt-action?

Hand/Eye Coordination (Success) - The Triangong 4-46. Good recoil - and precise. There’s a 30mm sniper scope attached on top - with a rangefinding reticle.

Perception (Sight) - In front of where she’s sitting, there’s a small, extinguished campfire, a black plume of smoke slowly rising.

“Maybe we could sneak up on her?” I ask.

Shuichi looks at the woman hesitantly.

“We’ll try to disarm her first…”

Savoir Faire (Failed) - You crouch down, and start inching your way forward. As you approach the woman, you trip on something.

Perception (Sight) - The campfire!

“Ah, crap!”

I fall on the ground, as the pain on the bullet wound intensifies.

Pain Threshold (Failed) - You let out a loud groan of pain, and the woman looks up.

“A-Are you alright?” She asks.

Perception (Sight) - Red hair and eyes. She's wearing a dark green Hope's Peak jacket, and a white shirt underneath with a green skirt.

She turns to look around, seeing Shuichi.

“Are...you two the ones to take me away?”

Perception (Sight) - Her eyesight is sharp.

Inland Empire - She knows what you’re going to do from *years* away.

Empathy - She’s been waiting. A very long time - for you.

Shuichi lightly walks up to the side, picking up a rifle from the ground.

“How did you find this? A samaran rifle…” Shuichi inspects the gun.

“I don’t remember. It has nothing to do with me…” She looks away.

“Were you the one that closed the blast door?” Shuichi asks.

“I don’t...know.” She inspects her nails.

“It’s out of bullets anyways.”

Conceptualization - She stares into the ocean. 

Shuichi passes the gun to me carefully.

Perception - The rifle feels light.

“Shuichi...it’s not a Belle-Magrave…”

He shakes his head.

“We were guessing. No one said it *had* to be one…”

Visual Calculus - From ballistics - it could easily have been a Triangong.

Hand/Eye Coordination - “This uses jacketed ammo...4.46.”

Shuichi nods.

Empathy - He likes the sound of this.

I stow the gun away into my backpack.

Reaction Speed - The woman’s left arm twitches ever so slightly. An involuntary response?

Rhetoric - This is *obviously* the murder weapon. We can get a confession with this.

“Who are you?”

“I am...Ryoko Otonashi. I...think.” She says hesitantly.

“You...think?” Shuichi questions.

She nods.

“I can’t remember much...neurological disorder.”

Shuichi shakes his head.

“What do you remember about yourself?” I ask.

“Ultimate Analytical Prowess...is what she said.”

Reaction Speed - Wait, that's not...right. That was...Junko, wasn't it?

“She?”

“Yeah...the one in the notebook…”

Interfacing - Wait, nothing said that in the book!

“Hold on, you read that from your notebook?”

“Yeah...I make sure to read it everyday. So I remember…”

“How long have you been here?”

“I think...a week. Maybe less...”

Logic - Fits the timeframe a bit. Not too well - but it fits.

“...It’s not how someone should live…all alone...”

Empathy - She grimaces a bit. In pain.

“Especially with your condition…” Shuichi places a finger under his chin.

Volition - But she just couldn’t…

“But you just couldn’t give up?” I ask.

She nods.

Volition - But she can *now*.

“What have you been doing all this time?”

“I don’t know…” She looks away again.

“I’ve just been waiting. For you two…”

Esprit De Corps - “So, did Celeste agree?” The detective asks.

Esprit De Corps - Byakuya nods in response.

Esprit De Corps - “Very annoyed, yes. She says she finally had a bit of time to spend with her butlers.”

Esprit De Corps - “Well, next is the Fishing Village. I’ll tell Rantaro to head back with Shuichi and Kaede.”

“How have you...survived?” Shuichi asks.

“I found food...supplies and stuff. In the tower…”

“Wait, how is your health?” I ask.

“I’ve been throwing up a lot…”

Endurance - She must be sick. And tired. Of everything.

“The RCM can provide you medical services. We can get you looked over, Ms. Otonashi.” Shuichi raises a hand.

“Ryoko’s fine...and I know. That’s why I was told to wait for you…”

Empathy - “How did you cope..mentally?”

“I don’t remember. I just...write in the notebook. Then - after it fills up, I write over the previous words.”

Interfacing - That’s why it was so hard to read.

“Then...the gun. What did you use it for?” I ask.

“I...used it to kill people.”

“K-Killing people? Why?” I narrow my eyes.

“Because the notebook told me to.”

Interfacing - Probably written over - something she can still read, but we can’t.

Reaction Speed (Success) - This is it. You can feel it. Battery acid on the tip of your tongue.

Logic - The solution.

Rhetoric - Go in straight - no euphemisms.

Hand/Eye Coordination - No, no. Be careful - slow and steady does it. Make her repeat it.

Suggestion - Don’t mess this up. 

“Did you shoot and kill Natsumi Kuzuryu?”

“I’m sorry...who?”

Drama - Now, end it with a dramatic flourish!

“The corpse...behind the Whirling-In-Rags.”

“Oh...her…” She says, with a slight regret in her voice.

Shuichi slowly pulls out his notebook and pen, ready to take down notes.

Empathy - The notebook told her to do it. Please don’t blame her for it…

Rhetoric - Now, extract the confession.

Logic - Exhaust her with proof. Pile it all.

Hand/Eye Coordination - The gun. The murder weapon.

Perception (Sight) - The footprints...something about them are *so off*. The ones in the Whirling…

“We have the murder weapon, Shuichi. Do we just...mark it in our Monopad?” I ask.

Shuichi nods.

“We just have to acknowledge it as the murder weapon.”

‘Triangong 4.46’ has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Monopad.

Logic - One less loose end.

Esprit De Corps - Shuichi crosses something out in his notes.

“Can you show us your shoes, Ryoko?”

“My...shoes?” She lifts her leg up slightly.

Perception (Sight) - The sole isn’t that strange. The size fits though - the prints in general seem to fit perfectly with these.

“Shuichi...these fit the other prints.”

He nods.

“What were you doing in the Whirling?”

She looks again.

“That...had nothing to do with me. I don’t remember…”

Logic - We’ll pull it out of her later. Keep going.

“What else can you remember?” Shuichi asks.

“...” She holds her breath for a second.

“I remember holding the gun up - on the mattress…”

“I pulled the trigger. I don’t...I don’t know why…” Her fist trembles a bit.

Empathy - Fear.

“A-Are you alright?” Shuichi asks.

She nods slowly.

“Something told me to do it...so...I shot her. Just like the statue.”

Logic - That isn’t a good motive, but this is fine...probably.

Reaction Speed - Wait, the bullet hole in Filippe’s heart! The statue had been shot - it was her!

Visual Calculus - It had to be. The woman’s proven capable of taking a far more complicated shot.

“You...shot the statue. There was a hole in her heart.”

She looks down again, towards the campfire.

“Yeah...I wrote it down.”

Composure (Success) - You look closely at the woman’s movements.

Composure - She’s...surprisingly okay - for someone with memory problems, and no human contact for a while.

Composure - She seems…*animated*, quietly. Thought process cut off like threads.

What does that mean?

Empathy - Great leaps of emotion: Anger to grief. Hope to despair.

Encyclopedia - Dementia, perhaps?

Composure - Familiar, but different. She isn’t…*senile* - but she’s lucid, keen.

Composure - Some underlying neurological disorder - *excluding* the memory problems.

“Ryoko...are you alright?”

She nods.

“I...think I’m fine. I don’t know why I do the things I do anymore...”

Logic - If you ask her about anything else, she’ll probably respond with ‘I don’t remember’ at this point.

Volition - She doesn’t know why she does the things she does - except for her notebook. But...it’s as if something *put* the thought there. To shoot. To kill. To walk.

“It’s like...something *put* the thought in you, right? Like...a compulsion.”

Ryoko’s eyes widen a bit.

Empathy - Brief flash of terror.

“What do you mean…*put*?”

“I just...had the feeling from what you said.”

“Maybe…” She looks away.

Esprit De Corps (Success) - On a dilapidated jetty in the fishing village, three detectives, and an Affluent Progeny stand, looking across the sea. The ruins of the sea fort sticks out of the water. They narrow their eyes at Rantaro’s sloop.

Esprit De Corps - “They’re there. We have a bit of time.” Kyoko crosses her arms.

Esprit De Corps - “Are you sure?” The man in the green jacket narrows his eyes.

Esprit De Corps - “No question about it.” Byakuya turns around.

Esprit De Corps - “I’m going to call Aloysius. I’ll be back.”

Esprit De Corps - Kyoko stares at the sea fort.

Empathy - Good luck, Kaede. Maybe if you solve the case here…

“Ryoko Otonashi...you’re currently under arrest for the murder of Natsumi Kuzuryu.”

Ryoko simply sweats a little, before standing up.

“I understand.”

Perception (Hearing) (Success) - On your left, a small…*chirp*.

Visual Calculus - The wind is cold. It comes from the east.

Shivers - Your skin crawls.

Reaction Speed - Your left! Careful!

Perception (Sight) - You turn left, seeing a delicate tangle of arms and legs unfold from the reeds, limb by limb. Standing there - in a ghostly silence. Several eyes line its head - black and blue.

“What is *that*?!” I point at the insect.

Ryoko looks at the reeds for a second.

“What...are you talking about?”

“D-Do you see it? The giant bug!”

“There’s...nothing there…” Ryoko squints.

Empathy - She’s genuinely confused.

Perception (Sight) - The stick insect is three meters tall. It looks straight at you - small pinprick eyes and small head.

“I...am I going insane?”

Perception - Before you blink, Shuichi places his hand on your back, pistol in his left hand.

“Kaede...I can see it.”

Volition - Thank god. If he can see it - then you’re not insane…

Logic - But that means…

Shivers - IT’S REALLY THERE.

Perception (Sight) - The creature stands on long stilt-like legs. Antennae hanging from its head.

“What...is that?” I whisper.

“I have no idea…” Shuichi whispers back. He pulls his phone out, moving to the camera app.

Savoir Faire - No! Tell him to turn the flash off! Now!

“Shuichi - turn the flash off!” I whisper.

Shuichi nods a bit.

Shuichi carefully starts to take a picture, before the insect turns to him.

Reaction Speed - Its motions are quick and sudden.

“The camera will hiss a bit...I think we need a better moment, when it’s not looking.”

Esprit De Corps - I’ll wait. I’m on standby.

The phasmid turns back to me.

Electrochemistry - Approach carefully, pianist.

Volition - Come on...you can do it.

Electrochemistry (Success) - Slowly, with your breath held, you take two small steps towards the phasmid. The creature clicks a bit.

Empathy - Like laughter. A sort of happiness.

Perception (Hearing) - It keeps hissing and clicking, before extending its mandible-like antennae.

“Shuichi...I’m uh...not good with insects! You better take this picture quickly!” I whisper urgently.

“If it moves, Kaede...jump back. I’ll shoot.”

“In three…”

“Two…”

“One…”

Inland Empire - The camera cuts the air, like the blade of a sword. The phasmid freezes.

Shivers - The sweat on your arms feels cold as ice. As if you’re frozen as well, in the picture.

“I got it, Kaede.” Shuichi says calmly.

I back off a slight bit.

Perception (Sight) - You look towards its mouth, where it foams. White and yellowish.

Ew…

“Shuichi...it’s...foaming.”

“Careful. It might be poisonous…” Shuichi watches it apprehensively.

Reaction Speed - “Wait, isn’t this the…”

Shuichi nods.

“The Insulindian Phasmid. The one Gonta and Kiibo were looking for.”

Empathy - They're going to be ecstatic. 

Inland Empire (Success) - What are you doing?

I exist.

W-What? What’s going on?

You’re seeing me. I’m real, don’t worry. You’re not seeing things.

What...are you?

I am an unknown species. Native to the Insulindian Isola. For the last three hundred and fifty years - I’ve been hiding in reeds, in plain sight. I am a relatively median lifeform. You, on the other hand, are total extreme madness.

T-That’s...what?

A volatile simian. That’s what you are. The pale came with you. No one remembers it before you. There is almost unanimous agreement between the birds, the plants, and everything that you will destroy us all.

H-Huh? How would I…

You are a violent and irrepressible miracle, detective. Given enough time - you would wipe us all out and replace us with nothing - by *accident*.

Everything your eyes touch go back, behind the nerve mirror. What if you blink? Are we still here? What if you misplace us all one day? Or just forget?

Inland Empire - But you’ve already forgotten. When you drank too much.

So it already started. Soon, one of you will close your eyes. And open them - only to see none of this ever existed.

Because the entire world revolves around *you*. Kaede Akamatsu. Ultimate Pianist.

The woman behind you. Ryoko Otonashi. She’s deteriorating fast, you know? She thought I was beneficial to her. I’m not.

You’re...destroying her?

Very slowly. Only because she won’t leave. It’s meant to keep them from noticing me - but she’s looked at me for way too long, now.

Inland Empire - This is goodbye, miracle. We’ll keep you in our mind - forever.

I am not the miracle. It is *you*.

You kept your sanity. You kept going - even with all the pain.

Volition - In honor of your will, optimism and courage, Ultimate Pianist. That kept you falling apart. In the face of sheer terror. In the face of death. Day after day. Second by second.

Inland Empire - DETECTIVE

Esprit De Corps - ARRIVING

Authority - ON

Volition - THE

Kinship - SCENE

Perception (Sight) - As you turn away slightly, the phasmid mirrors your movement. Stepping on the water, carrying its feather weight. And just like that…

Inland Empire - It’s gone.

Perception (Sight) - And something under it. In the place it stood, bobbing up and down - is the insect trap from Land’s End.

“It’s gone…” Shuichi looks north.

“It...walked on water.”

“Apparently so. Like...a water strider.”

“There’s something in the reeds.” I kneel down a bit.

Shuichi squints.

“The insect trap...”

“What...now?” Ryoko mutters.

Empathy - In a strange, catatonic state.

“Ryoko?” Shuichi narrows his eyes.

Empathy - Something is very wrong with him now.

The woman doesn’t respond, instead staring at the reeds.

“Ryoko? Are you alright?” He repeats.

Ryoko doesn’t answer, continuing to tremble.

“What happened to her?”

“...The Phasmid did something to her.” I answer.

Composure - It makes sense why you thought something was off earlier, now. The neurological disorder.

“She was strangely animated, and she couldn’t see the Phasmid either.”

“She did seem strangely distressed, too…” Shuichi notes.

Shuichi turns to his notebook.

“I forgot to take notes…I hope I remember all of this…” He shakes his head.

“The report for this case is going to sound absolutely insane...thank god we have the photo…”

Drama - No one would believe you without it.

“We should head back to Rantaro’s sloop with Ryoko.”

I nod in response.

“So we’re heading back to Hope’s Peak?”

Shuichi smiles.

“Yeah.”

8:07 AM

"I...expected you to be more uptight about this, Rantaro." Shuichi says, sweating a little.

"Yeah, normally I would be. But it's Kyoko, so I can't really argue."

Rhetoric - She'd win that one in a heartbeat.

"She told you to bring us back?" I question.

"Yeah. She's waiting back at Martinaise with some other people, apparently."

The sloop rocks gently, as Ryoko sits down, blank.

"What's up with her?" Rantaro asks.

"Uh...we'll explain later. For now, Kirumi, can you take care of her?"

Kirumi bows lightly, before attending to Ryoko.

Perception (Hearing) - The ride back is uneventful, except for the sound of a conversation on the water. Someone's inland, waiting for *you*.

Esprit De Corps - Three men and one woman stand on the concrete square of a nameless village, looking at Rantaro's sloop get closer and closer.

8:13 AM

"They're here." Kyoko crosses her arms, as we step onto the jetty.

"Kaede Akamatsu and Shuichi Saihara..." A bespectacled man pushes his glasses up a bit.

Perception (Sight) - Orange bomber jacket, yellow pants black shoes. On the jacket, there's a small white rectangle.

Logic - He's part of the RCM.

"Is that the other injured?" A man in a green jacket asks.

Shivers - IT'S HIM AGAIN.

Perception (Sight) - Green jacket - white rectangle. RCM as well. He's wearing an absolutely horrific necktie, and has a grin on his face.

"No time. Getting down to business. Kaede - would you be interested in joining a special task force?"

"A...special task force?"

"Actually, it's more a 'Major Crimes Unit' - but weirder." The man in the green jacket winks.

"And what does this task force of your do?" Shuichi questions. 

"You've seen them. The Ultimate Despair popping up time and again. We're giving you a chance to remedy them, if you'd like to." Byakuya crosses his arms, smirking.

"Though...we should probably go back to talking to the case first." The bespectacled man suggests.

"We can talk about this later, can't we?"

Kyoko nods.

"I'm assuming...that woman is the culprit?" Kyoko looks behind us, towards Ryoko.

Shuichi and I nod.

"So far, that's what we believe."

"We should probably transport them back to Hope's Peak. Rantaro?" Kyoko peeks over.

"What is it?" Rantaro asks, slightly annoyed.

"This offer extends to you as well. You too, Shuichi. Give it some thought, will you three?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left - I wasn't really able to explain the Junko - Ryoko connection here, so that'll be next chapter!
> 
> I've really enjoyed writing this, and I've hoped you guys have enjoyed reading. (regardless of how bad it is)


	53. More Loose Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s *Kyoko* we’re talking about. Another Ultimate Detective - and one of, if not the best detective people have ever seen. Of course I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot later than usual.
> 
> And also lower quality.
> 
> Damn.

6 December 2019

9:03 AM

Rantaro peeks over our shoulders, as we stare at the picture of the Phasmid.

“Wait, hold on, what is *that*?” He asks, eyes widened.

Composure - This is the second time he’s been shaken like this.

“Uh...it’s what people call the ‘Insulindian Phasmid’.”

“The *cryptid*?” Rantaro looks at us, eyes slightly darkened.

Empathy - A deep sadness enters his voice.

I laugh nervously.

“Haha...yeah. What’s...wrong?”

Rantaro looks away.

“I...should go back to steering the ship.”

Empathy - Don't. Push. Him. This is something that has to be handled with care. Volatile stuff here.

As Rantaro’s sloop rocks ever so slightly on the waves. Shuichi puts away his Monopad, instead writing down something in his notebook.

I peek over his shoulder a little bit.

“What are you writing?”

He turns back to me.

“Ah...I’m just preparing for the summary. It’s usually the most important part of the case.”

Interfacing (Success) - You can barely read his handwriting from this angle. His notes contain the following - first, notes about the main suspect, being Ryoko Otonashi. 

Interfacing - Second - notes about other suspects, including Junko and Mukuro. 

Interfacing - Then - lastly, notes about the strange encounters. The Ultimate Despair. The Pale. A cube-like object called ‘The Reader’. But - most notably - of the Ultimate Despair, and the Phasmid.

Interfacing - Your eyes scroll further down, where more of Shuichi’s encounters go on.

Interfacing - ‘Tsumugi Shirogane. I’m not sure about her. I’ve known Tsumugi for about a year now - but...I never had this feeling before.’ 

Interfacing - ‘This paranoia and suspicion about her. Kaede has the same idea I do, I think. We both suspect her, but for what? All I have is a small inkling from that ‘Reader’, and even then, can I trust that? I could have the completely wrong person...I have no reason to suspect her.’

Inland Empire - You turn east from here - deeper into the Pale. A pit grows in your stomach.

Rantaro steers west, moving towards Japan.

Shivers - A chill runs down your spine.

Shivers - OUTSIDE. *I* CANNOT HELP YOU MUCH ANYMORE. THE STRANGE FEELINGS WILL REMAIN, HOWEVER. WHEN YOU COME BACK - I’LL BE HERE.

Shivers - The strange feeling dissipates, before another chill runs down your spine.

Shivers - East. Where you drowned.

THOUGHT COMPLETE

The Writer

_Tsumugi Shirogane - more than she seems? Or just misunderstood? It’s hard to tell. The last time you saw her, she pulled out a flashlight that made you remember. You and Shuichi both suspect her in some sort of foul play, but you two aren’t sure about what. Shuichi remembers something from one of his regrets - while you just have a gut feeling that there’s something very wrong with her._

_Either way - the next time you see her - the only thing you’ll get instead of answers is more confusion. _

__

__

+1 Shivers  
+1 Inland Empire  
-1 Empathy

8 December 2019

7:03 PM

“We’re here.” Rantaro whispers urgently, as we dock at a jetty.

Perception (Sight) - His voice wakes you up. Looking around - you notice a large mountain behind you.

Perception (Sight) - In front, there’s a large town, with lights on in the dark. Behind that - forests and more mountains.

Perception - There isn’t much wind anymore.

Rantaro steps off the sloop, tying the bow and stern up.

“We should get going.”

“Get going...where?” I ask, still slightly disoriented from the Pale.

“Right...your amnesia…” Rantaro shakes his head.

“Hope’s Peak is about three hours away from here, Kaede. We are taking a car there.” Kirumi explains, still tending to Ryoko.

“Then...what about her?” I ask, pointing to Ryoko.

“We’re bringing her with us back to Hope’s Peak, I think. Kyoko wanted to ask her a few questions.” Shuichi looks at his Monopad for a moment.

Esprit De Corps - In his eyes - you spot a bit of discomfort. The pale has slightly distorted him. 

Kinship - We're fine. Don't worry about us.

Logic - We have so many questions…

Kirumi looks up towards the road.

“There they are.” She smiles.

“They?” I ask.

“The butler service that is supposed to transport us.”

Perception (Sight) - Looking closer into the dark road, you can see two sleek four-seaters, both with a well-dressed man in black waiting for us.

“Well then...let’s get going, shall we?” Kirumi starts walking towards the limousines.

Shuichi looks at me for a moment, before following behind Kirumi.

Endurance - The last walk before Hope’s Peak. Treasure this moment.

I look behind me at Rantaro, who simply smiles.

“I’ll be right behind you guys. Just give me a moment.”

“Rantaro, are you joining the special task force?”

He crosses his arms.

“It’s *Kyoko* we’re talking about. Another Ultimate Detective - and one of, if not the best detective people have ever seen. Of course I am.”

“But...you shouldn’t be joining it just because of one person, right?” I ask.

He scratches the back of his head, laughing awkwardly.

“I’m also doing it for one of my own reasons. I just try not to say that because it makes me sound selfish.”

I cross my arms.

“Really…”

“Well, I’ll see you back at Hope’s Peak, then!” I smile, pumping my fists.

“Yeah. See ya.” He waves.

I turn around, jogging up behind Shuichi.

“So...are we going to join her special task force?” I ask.

Shuichi thinks for a moment.

“Ah...I’m not sure. We should talk about this later - when we get to the dorms.”

Kirumi greets the butlers, who simply bow back.

“Master Kirumi, we are ready.” Both men say in union.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?” Kirumi says, slightly exasperated.

“Apologies, Ma’am. We simply respect you.”

Kirumi frowns.

“It’s fine. But please - I only serve. I simply helped you with your training, that is all.”

“You got us out of the crime business, Ms. Tojo! We all appreciate you for all you did.”

“Well…I suppose we could leave it at that.”

“So, are we ready to move?”

Kirumi nods.

“Well then, please take your seats.” 

Kirumi opens up the front door of the car and sits in the front seat of one of the cars, next to the driver’s seat.

Shuichi and I open up the doors in the back, and scoot into the back seats awkwardly.

Perception (Sight) - You can barely peek out the tinted windows. Rantaro gets into the other vehicle, with Ryoko on his shoulder.

“We’re moving.” The man in the front says, before the engine starts.

Perception - As the man presses his foot down on the pedal, the car moves on the road, towards the highway.

Shivers - Familiar, but different.

The car shakes a bit on the uneven ground.

10:13 PM

The Limos pull up on the entrance to Hope’s Peak.

Logic - They’re not allowed in. You have to get in by yourselves now.

“For now, you guys will be resting in the dorms. Your families have been informed of the change.” Kirumi explains.

“Ah, alright…” Shuichi nods.

Shuichi and I step out, and walk in front of the gate with Rantaro and Ryoko following not far behind.

Inland Empire - A piercing shriek enters your ears. The *blue*, metallic gate of Hope’s Peak opens.

Perception (Hearing) - The sound stops almost as suddenly as it starts.

“We should head on in, Kaede.” Shuichi smiles at me reassuringly.

“...Yeah. We should.”

Rantaro sighs.

"I guess I'll get her to the Ultimate Detective lab..."

10:43 PM

I look at my Monopad on my bed, hair still drying from my shower.

“...”

Perception (Hearing) - *Knock!* Someone’s at the door.

Esprit De Corps - Slightly spaced, careful steps. Looking around every corner. Shuichi.

“It’s unlocked, Shuichi!” I yell.

Shuichi opens the door, eyes slightly widened.

“How did you know it was me?” He asks, slightly perplexed.

“I can tell.” I smile, looking at my Monopad.

“So...Kyoko. Are we joining her?” I ask again.

He places a finger under his chin.

"...I don't know."

9 December 2019

12:03 PM

"...We couldn't get much." Kyoko leaves the lab, locking the door behind her. 

"I...suppose that was to be expected." Shuichi says, sweating a bit. 

Kyoko crosses her arms. 

"You two have to meet me later, by the way. Headmaster's office at two, please." She says, and starts walking away. 

Composure - She's just *so cool*! 

"...Have we made up our minds yet?" I ask Shuichi. 

He thinks for a moment. 

"I...think we did." 

1:54 PM

“The Insulindian Phasmid…” Shuichi repeats to himself, looking at his Monopad.

I glance back at my Monopad, looking at the remaining tasks.

Discover Ryoko Otonashi’s motive.

Question the main suspect.

Arrest Mukuro Ikusaba - the person behind the Despair Video.

Locate Junko Enoshima - a suspect who escaped.

Type up a summary of the case.

“Shuichi, are we going to talk about it in our summary?”

“Talk about what?” He asks.

“Like...the insect.” 

He looks up from his Monopad.

“I suppose we could...use it as a motive of some sort? You said the Phasmid did something to her, right?”

I nod.

Esprit De Corps - On the second floor of Hope’s Peak Academy, a gigantic man and a robot stand behind a door with insects painted on it.

Esprit De Corps - They look at the picture of the Insulindian Phasmid.

Esprit De Corps - “Looks like a female...what do you think, Gonta?”

Esprit De Corps - “Gonta thinks bug lonely. Long time no see!”

Perception (Hearing) - “I am Junko Enoshima…” Shuichi murmurs next, still staring at his Monopad.

I look at him slightly worriedly.

“Shuichi - are you alright?”

He nods.

“Yeah...I’m fine.”

Perception (Sight) - In your discomfort, you look around. The room is dark. Lights off - curtains closed. A painting lies behind you - and on your right, the headmaster’s desk.

I shift around uncomfortably on the couch.

“Nervous, Kaede?” Shuichi asks, sweating a little.

“Obviously!” I cross my arms.

“I didn't even know her name and she was talking to me like we were friends. I have to tell her I have amnesia, too…”

I sigh.

“Did Kaito or Maki say anything yet?”

“They’re still on transport on an airship, probably. I haven’t been able to send any messages to them.”

Shivers (Success) - Somewhere, stowed away in an airship, the black-haired soldier looks around, pistol in hand.

Shivers - “It’s clear. Let’s keep moving.”

Shivers - A man in a brown jacket with a green tie sits down on a box, slightly bored and playing with his light brown hair. The box creaks under his weight.

Shivers - “Are you sure you want to wear that?”

Shivers - The man nods.

Shivers - “They’ll probably figure it out sooner or later. But not yet.” He crosses his arms.

Shivers - The woman sighs, thinking back to a young man’s talks of ‘The Hope Video’, before putting it out of her mind.

Shivers - “We’ll get Junko out soon. Let’s keep going, ‘Ryota’.”

“You two actually came.” Kyoko steps into the room, dressed in a more formal outfit.

Perception (Sight) - Instead of her purple, collared jacket - she’s wearing a dark jacket over a white blouse. Instead of a short, dark purple skirt - she dons a slightly larger purple skirt with a brown belt.

“Of course we did!” I smile.

“Well...I had my reasons to doubt you, slightly…” Kyoko scratches the side of her head.

“Especially with your amnesia.” She crosses her arms.

Composure (Success) - This woman is a master of composure. She reads you easily. This is fine - she’s an ally. You can’t read *her* though, so that might be a problem.

‘Y-You knew?”

She nods.

“I’ve had it too, you know. It’s not hard to tell when someone is disoriented and disconnected from the world - especially when you know what to look for.”

Drama - No signs of a lie yet, Madame.

“You’ve had amnesia before as well?” Shuichi questions.

Kyoko nods.

“Well, just a reminder. The name’s Kyoko Kirigiri. Ultimate Detective of the 78th Class of Hope’s Peak.”

Encyclopedia - Once again, nothing about her in newspapers, online forums or anything. This woman is an enigma.

Rhetoric - Multi-face?

Drama (Success) - No lie yet. The woman has been completely truthful.

“So, have you made up your mind?” She looks at us.

I nod.

Suggestion (Success) - With this woman, you don’t need to work your way around. Say it out.

“We...chose not to join.”

Her eyes widen a bit in surprise, before lowering back to normal.

“We decided to conduct our own investigation, which Ms Chisa has approved of for us.” Shuichi explains.

Kyoko smiles.

“I see. Then I wish you the best of luck.” She turns away.

“The offer still stands, if you ever wish to change your mind. I hope we can work together in the future.” She pulls open the door, before leaving the headmaster’s office.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“That was scarier than I thought it’d be.”

Shuichi nods.

“When she brought up that she knew you had amnesia - I was pretty scared…”

“Well, at least she approved us doing our own investigation into the Ultimate Despair.” Shuichi leans back.

“Ah, since we’re in charge of our own investigation - we have time to deal with this.” Shuichi places a small black box on the table.

“What...is that?”

Inland Empire - The box feels like a gut punch. Something that’s supposed to make sense, but doesn’t.

I pick up the box.

“It’s an object called ‘The Reader’ that affects your dreams, from what I’ve tested.” Shuichi looks up.

“The Reader? Wasn’t there another…”

“Yeah. ‘The Writer’. This box brings up regrets that you wish you could rewrite. I think they were supposed to be used in conjunction.” He explains.

Volition - Well, at least you overcame *that*.

“Well...what do we do with this?” I ask.

“I think...the best course of action right now is to find Tsumugi. She was apparently the head of the team that made ‘The Writer’. She might have some answers for us.” Shuichi says hopefully.

“Alright! When are we being sent out?”

Shuichi glances at his Monopad.

“It’s...going to be a while.”

Kinship - And we better be ready, Kaede.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to leave the ending a bit different from Disco Elysium. More loose ends about *Kaede* herself are tied up, but the actual threads leading from the clues in the case are way less focused on.
> 
> I think I'll write one last chapter - fully tying up all loose ends. (Though it'll be later than usual. Maybe a full week this time.)
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me so long - even when my writing has been...less than sub-par.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this fic.


	54. Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I look around the lighted room, running my finger on the desk in the middle of the room, full of books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And - yet again, this isn't the final chapter.
> 
> Damn I'm stupid

11 December 2019

9:08 AM

“Ryoko…” I place my hand over hers.

Esprit De Corps - You seem to have taken a liking to this one, pianist.

Volition - She has the same problem as us. Of course we'd relate to her more.

She looks up from the desk.

“If there’s anything, you can tell me, alright?”

She nods.

Empathy - If I remember anything...I’ll be sure to tell you.

“...Alright. I should probably get going. Kyoko’ll probabl-”

“Kaede. Your time’s up.” Kyoko walks into the room.

Esprit De Corps - Sorry. We need *our* time with her too.

“Ah, okay.” I stand up from the chair.

“Bye, Ryoko!” 

I step outside the room, taking a deep breath.

11:03 AM

Perception (Hearing) - Footsteps, outside. Calculated. Careful. Once again - Shuichi.

“You can come in, Shuichi!”

Perception (Hearing) - You hear a slight sigh outside, before the door is pulled open.

“Kaede. We’re heading out tonight.”

“Tonight? For what?”

He reaches behind his back and pulls out a small map.

“We got a new hint. This one from Precinct 41.”

Esprit De Corps - Jean Vicquemare looks out the chipped window in Precinct 41.

Esprit De Corps - “Vic...are you alright?” Patrol Officer Judit Minot walks in.

Esprit De Corps - The man nods in response.

Esprit De Corps - “I’m just worried, is all. They’re kids.”

Esprit De Corps - The woman smiles.

Empathy - Well...at least it’s not Harry - this time.

Esprit De Corps - “I’m sure they’ll be fine, Vic. They *did* solve the case without any loose ends.”

Esprit De Corps - “Loose ends on *our* side, sure. But did you read that damn report?” Lieutenant Vicquemare holds up a clipboard.

‘During our investigation - We ran into some traces of the Ultimate Despair. A suspect - Junko Enoshima, who is still missing, claimed to have once been part of the Ultimate Despair, though we believe that she was lying. With that being said, there were numerous others. Mukuro Ikusaba also claimed to be a part of the Ultimate Despair, and we suspect that there are others that have not stepped out yet.’

Esprit De Corps - “It’s insane. We’re talking about a terrorist group here. The worst part is we don’t even know where they are. That map was vague. Either they’re over in Japan or a completely different Isola. We had to take a chance sending them that map.”

“Didn't you say it’d be a while before we got sent out again?” I look at my Monopad for a moment.

Shuichi nods.

“But this one’s in Japan. We only have to wait a year for the *pale* limit to pass, and that’s only if we’re travelling from isola to isola.”

“It’s even worse because you went out earlier this year too - you’ve been travelling in the pale for up to *20 days*, Kaede.”

Kinship - Do you know how insane that is? There’s been people who’ve gone clinically insane, you know.

Encyclopedia - But then again - you *did* lose your memory...

“I guess that makes sense…” I look towards the map in Shuichi’s hand.

Perception (Sight) - Eleven dots on the map.

“So...what’s that?”

“A map Precinct 41 found - while searching Mukuro’s truck.”

“Ah...I forgot to mention. This map is...very close to us, to say the least.” He points to a building on the map.

“This is actually Hope’s Peak, I think. Kyoko seems to think so too…”

I look carefully at the map.

Shivers (Success) - Your eyes hover over the map, before a familiar, but unnatural chill runs down your spine. This map is heavy with the smell of Martinaise. Of *Revachol*.

Shivers - MUKURO. YOU WILL FIND HER HERE.

“Shuichi - can I hold onto the map?”

He looks at me, slightly surprised.  
“Ah...I mean...sure.”

Empathy - He’s unsure why you’d want it, but...

Kinship - We trust you.

“Don’t get into trouble, you two.” Maki’s voice comes from the door.

Perception (Sight) - You look up, and see Maki, leaning on the door.

“We’ll...be careful.” Shuichi nods.

Maki sighs.

“Do I really have to bring up Martinaise again?”

“Well...whatever.” Maki walks away.

“Is she...okay?” I ask Shuichi.

He shakes his head.

“She’s been a lot more...protective lately.”

7:13 PM

“So...our plan is to move counter-clockwise, right?” I look at the map, as we approach the first dot on the bottom left of the map.

Shuichi nods.

“We’re checking the trail first.”

7:21 PM

“...Nothing suspicious?” Shuichi repeats.

Kiyo nods.

“Not as far as I can see. I’ve always come here to relax, too.” He kneels down, placing flowers on a grave.

Empathy - In his voice, a tone of *loss*.

“Kiyo…”

He turns to me.

“Kaede, please, tell me. Would you still like the chance for you and my sister to meet?”

Empathy - Say yes.

Inland Empire - NO! NO. NO. NO.

Shivers - The map in your hand seems to shake, ever so slightly.

Shivers - DON’T SAY YES.

Rhetoric - Give him a centrist answer.

“Uh...maybe. If I have the time…” I answer, sweating a little.

“Kehehe...I shall see if I may arrange a meeting - that fits in your schedule, of course.” He stands up from the grave.

“Well, good luck with your investigation, you two. I did promise my sister to find more beauty in humanity.”

He walks off into the distance, and back towards Hope’s Peak.

Perception (Sight) - The grave reads ‘Shinguji’, with the first name chipped away.

“...Shuichi...this grave…”

He looks at me awkwardly.

“He never told me who it was for either.”

Inland Empire - Underground, the corpse lays, eyes closed and peaceful. Smiling, whenever one dies.

Shuichi holds out a pencil to me.

“We should...probably shade out the ones we’ve been through already, Kaede.”

9:06 PM

I look back at the small map in my hand.

Perception (Sight) - There are eleven dots on the map. Five shaded. Six unshaded.

“This is the sixth spot we’ve checked…”

Shuichi nods.

“We’re pretty lucky Precinct 41 gave that to us. We should send them a thank you later.”

Perception (Sight) - Your eyes barely adjust to the dark. In the dim light from a lamp post, you can see a large warehouse, along with some containers strewn about the outside of the warehouse.

“This is the next spot on the map, right?” I ask.

“Ah, yeah. But…” He peeks around the corner.

“It’s...quiet. We should be careful.”

Perception (Hearing) - He’s right. When his mouth stops moving, it’s like the world stopped. No birds, no movement of cargo...just…*silence*. Like that time in the church…

“You’re right. It *is* pretty silent…” I look towards the warehouse.

Shuichi shushes me.

Perception (Hearing) - Your ears perk up. A...car engine? It stops, and you can hear the doors opening.

Shuichi carefully peeks around the corner.

Perception (Hearing) (Success) - “Are you sure this will work?” A man’s voice asks.

Perception (Hearing) - “Yes. There is no question about it. Are you doubting Junko?”

Reaction Speed - That voice...that sounds like...the first time we met her…

Half Light - JUNKO!

Reaction Speed - But who’s the man?

Rhetoric - And why is she speaking in third person?

“I can’t see them...they turned off the headlights.” Shuichi remarks.

Perception (Hearing) - You hear a smaller door - not the main one - opening, before silence.

“Shuichi...I think one of them might be Junko.”

Shuichi turns back to me in surprise.

“What makes you say that?”

“The woman...she sounds like when we met Junko for the first time.” I explain.

He places a finger under his chin.

“If that’s right…” He pulls out his pistol.

“We have to be careful.”

9:09 PM

We approach the door, with Shuichi leading the way.

He places his left hand on the door knob.

Perception (Hearing) - Dead silence, inside.

Inland Empire - Almost like you’re underwater.

Kinship - Let’s go.

Shuichi pushes the door open.

Perception (Sight) - Dark. The lights are still off.

Visual Calculus (Success) - This looks like the back of the warehouse. Therefore - logically speaking, the light switch should be…

Visual Calculus - On the left wall.

I reach my hand out towards the dark, before finally finding a switch.

Inland Empire - On. Now.

“Kaede, don’t!” Shuichi whispers.

I flick the switch up, and the lights slowly turn on one by one.

“Ah...nevermind, then…” He looks away.

Perception (Hearing) - A loud ‘switch’ sound follows every light turning on - and when they finish, all that’s left is the buzzing of the lights.

Encyclopedia - Non-LED lights. What a waste.

Shuichi looks around the warehouse, full of shelves and boxes.

Perception (Sight) - Nothing’s out of place here...just shelves. A white ground and ceiling, cardboard boxes, a forklift there...

“Shu-”

He quickly shushes me.

Esprit De Corps - Not now.

Kinship - They’re still here.

Perception (Hearing) - It’s dead silent.

Shivers - Cold…

“We need to keep moving.” He whispers, before walking forward.

Inland Empire - Something’s...off.

Perception (Hearing) - Your footsteps lightly reverberate. 

Savoir Faire (Failed) - You’re trying your best to keep it down, but…

Inland Empire - STOP!

Huh?

Perception (Hearing) - …

Perception (Hearing) (Success) - Calm.

Composure - Stay. Calm. Breathe, Kaede.

W-What?

Perception (Hearing) - That corner. You see the one on the right? Past that shelf?

Yeah?

Perception (Hearing) - There’s...breathing. Light - but it’s there. It’s light - and calm.

I lightly tap Shuichi on the shoulder.

He turns around, slightly concerned.

I point towards the right worriedly.

Shuichi tilts his head a slight bit.

Kinship - Someone’s there?

I nod.

Shuichi looks over to his pistol.

Kinship - We’re gonna peek out.

He turns the safety on the gun off.

Hand/Eye Coordination - He had it on for so long? What the hell is he doing?

“Who’s there?!”

Perception (Hearing) - You hear a soft ‘Tch…’, before all sounds disappear, excluding Shuichi’s breathing.

“Shuichi...they’re gone.”

Inland Empire - No. Not yet.

Shuichi looks up for a moment.

“You’re right, I think…”

Perception - You quickly scan around the room. It seems clear. Looking up at the ceiling, too - rafters are clear. Doesn’t seem like there’s anything you’re missing…

Inland Empire (Success) - Behind you!

I quickly turn around, only to find absolutely nothing.

What’s going on?

Then, the lights turn off.

“Kaede! Be careful!” Shuichi warns.

Inland Empire - And then - she comes from on top.

Shivers - THE ONE WISH GRANTED. WHITE WINGS.

Perception (Sight) - You quickly look up, seeing a small, lean figure jumping at you.

Perception (Sight) (Failed) - They’re holding something in their hand! Careful! We can’t see what!

Reaction Speed (Succes) - Get away!

I quickly jump to the side, and barely dodge a swing of the person’s weapon.

Perception (Sight) - Close. You can see her a lot clearer. Black hair, freckles and grey eyes.

“Mukuro?!” I yell in surprise.

She swipes up.

“Not exactly.” She answers, before rushing at me.

Esprit De Corps - Shuichi! Where is he?!

Kinship - He’s on your right. Aiming down the sights. 

Empathy - He’s hesitating to pull the trigger.

“Shuichi!”

Kinship - A deep breath, and...

Perception (Hearing) - *BANG!*

Kinship - Damn it! We missed!

Reaction Speed - She’s still coming!

Reaction Speed (Failed) - She crashes onto you, pushing you on the ground.

“I’m not supposed to kill you yet…” The girl’s voice rings.

Esprit De Corps - Shuichi aims down the sights again, ready to shoot.

“What did I tell you two about not getting in trouble?” A female’s voice rings in the dark - coming from the ceiling.

Esprit De Corps - Armed and ready.

Kinship - We looked away!

The lights turn back on, one by one.

“Really? Now?” Mukuro sighs, before looking up.

Maki jumps down from the top of the shelf.

“We’re taking you in, Mukuro Ikusaba.”

“...” The woman simply stands up.

Rhetoric - Really? That’s it? After putting up a fight like that, she’s just going to...

“Maki Harukawa. Ultimate Assassin...” She stares at Maki.

“If you think that threatening me with my true talent will give you a chance to escape, you’re wrong.” Maki glares.

“I know it won’t.”

Empathy - A slight bit of sadness in her voice.

“But this will.”

The lights suddenly shut off, all at once.

“W-What’s going on?” I ask, slightly panicked.

“The breaker tripped!” Shuichi yells, before going silent.

A gunshot goes off in the dark.

“Damn it!” Maki jumps away, up to the shelves.

“Kaede, are you alright?” Shuichi asks, jogging up to me and offering me his hand.

I grab it, and pull myself up.

“Do be careful. Junko won’t be happy if you die.” Mukuro’s voice reverberates through the room.

“Junko…” Shuichi places a finger under his chin.

“Well, I’ll see you guys later.”

Perception (Hearing) - In the dark, you can hear the door closing, before silence.

“Maki?” Shuichi calls out.

“She got away.” Maki turns the lights on again.

She sighs.

“I got careless. I’m sorry.”

“Uh...it’s alright…I missed too...” Shuichi answers.

“But still...I can’t overlook the fact that you two put yourself in so much trouble.” Maki glares.

I laugh nervously.

“S-Sorry?” I sweat nervously.

Maki sighs.

“Don’t do it again. You guys were lucky I followed you around.”

Esprit De Corps - She means it. She worries for you two. 

“Why don’t you two just join Kyoko’s group? You might as well. Makes things safer anyways.”

Shuichi looks away.

“We...didn't want to be held back from investigating.”

Maki narrows her eyes.

“What does that mean?”

“Nevermind.” Shuichi answers awkwardly.

Maki simply sighs again.

“Well, whatever. Just remember that I won’t be there to bail you guys out next time.”

Shivers (Success) - The map in your hand glows yellow, as the room lights it white.

Shivers - YOU WON’T BE GETTING ANY MORE FROM SEARCHING THE REST OF THE DOTS.

Inland Empire (Success) - Another woman sits in a room, this one in blue hair and glasses.

Inland Empire - In the dark, she stares at the computer screen, looking through concepts and ideas.

Inland Empire - A fragmented mind...but one that assists the user.

Inland Empire - She taps on the screen, smiling at the concept.

Shivers - THE LIBRARY.

“Shuichi...I don’t think we should search the rest of the dots yet.”

He turns to me in surprise.

“Why?”

“I think...I have another lead.”

Maki shakes her head.

“Another one of her gut feelings, I bet. Well, I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Don’t get into trouble again.” She glares, eyes darkened.

10:34 PM

I look around the lighted room, running my finger on the desk in the middle of the room, full of books.

Inland Empire - In another world - Rantaro's body lies.

Did I...just get a premonition about...

Inland Empire - No, you didn't. As I said - *another world*.

Perception (Sight) - You draw a line on the table, due to the dust.

Logic - It’s been awhile since someone’s come in here.

“There isn’t a librarian here?” I ask.

Shuichi nods.

“Usually, Touko’s here. Since she left for Martianise though, the library has been unmanned.”

Logic - She’s the Ultimate Writing Prodigy, right? Makes sense.

“Isn’t that...dangerous?”

Shuichi shakes his head.

“There isn’t much reason for anyone to steal books from Hope’s Peak library. Also, the perpetrator has to *get into* Hope’s Peak first, which is the bigger issue for them.”

“But still...wouldn’t it be a cause for concern? Students could just...take the books and never return them.”

Shuichi sweats nervously.

Empathy - Guilt.

“Uh...I think I’ve done that a few times before.”

I smile reassuringly.

“Don’t worry! I won’t tell anyone.”

He shakes his head.

“So...what did you want to do here?”

I look around the library.

Anything out of place?

Perception (Sight) (Failed) - Not as far as you can see. 

Visual Calculus - I’m sure we’ve missed something here…

“...” Shuichi squints at a bookshelf in a corner of the room.

“What are you looking at?”

He walks forward, pulling the shelf aside.

Esprit De Corps - Trust him.

“Shuichi, what are y-”

Behind the shelf, Shuichi reveals a small monochrome door.

“H-How did you see that?” I ask.

He scratches the side of his head.

“I got lucky.”

He pushes the door open, revealing a small computer room.

“What’s...this?” He places a finger under his chin.

Perception (Sight) - Around you, the room seems futuristic. Blue and green line the computer screen, and a chair sits at the desk, grey and plastic.

“Tsumugi was here.” I inspect the computer.

Perception (Sight) - The computer emits blue and white light. On the screen, it reads ‘DISCO WORLD’.

Interfacing - The controls are insanely strange. There’s a touchscreen, but the keyboard and mouse are out of this world. The keyboard glows blue with no physical form, and the mouse bent, and thin.

Interfacing (Success) - This isn’t designed to be practical. This is supposed to look fancy. It’s all a show.

Interfacing - On the keyboard, two buttons.

‘STOP’

‘PAUSE’

Inland Empire - Do not worry if you click pause. You should, however, worry when you press stop.

“Shuichi...I’m going to press the pause button here.”

“A-Are you sure we should be pressing buttons without a second thought?” He places his hand over his mouth.

Esprit De Corps - This has happened before, after all. With Miu.

I nod.

“I’m sure nothing bad will happen this time.”

I press pause.

“...Nothing happened?” I sweat a little.

Shuichi places a finger under his chin.

“It...seems like it.”

Only the button ‘RESUME’ remains.

“Does something feel...off, for you?” I ask. 

He nods a bit.

“I can’t put my finger on exactly what, though…” He raises a hand.

“...” I think for a moment.

“Doesn’t it...sound quieter, here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah...I remember when I was planning on ending this fic the moment Ryoko was found.
> 
> Well.
> 
> This'll probably end by Chapter 55, but with that being said...I'm not sure anymore.


	55. Dots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So everything...was fictional?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took *way* too long for me to write.
> 
> And it isn't even a really satisfying ending...
> 
> Thanks for reading up to this point. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

10:40 PM

“...I guess…” He looks away.

“Hmm….”

“Oh, I know! The voices - they’re gone, aren’t they?”

Shuichi places his hand over his mouth.

“You’re right...I don’t hear them anymore.”

“Then...if we press this…” I press the ‘Resume’ button.

Volition - Whew.

Visual Calculus - It was so *cramped* in there…

Perception (Sight) - The ‘STOP’ and ‘PAUSE’ buttons reappear, after the keyboard flickers a bit.

“They’re back.”

Logic - It wasn’t all that hard to figure out, to be fair.

“Then, if we click stop…” Shuichi thinks aloud.

Inland Empire - “They disappear forever.” You nod.

Shuichi inspects the monitor further.

“It seems like there isn’t a computer or anything...it’s just the monitor.”

Interfacing - All-in-one. Way more advanced than a radiocomputer…

Perception (Sight) - Under the table, a hatch.

I open the hatch up.

“It’s empty…”

Shuichi nods.

“Looks like it was barely small enough to fit a person. But...I think they were hiding something else here.”

Inland Empire - The Writer, perhaps?

“I...don’t think we should mess around with this anymore.” Shuichi says worriedly.

“Yeah...we should probably leave.” I look behind us, slightly nervous.

“Shuichi - are we going to tell anyone about this?” I ask.

Logic - We could...

He looks up.

“We definitely have to tell Kyoko about the hidden room, but…”

Rhetoric - Would she believe us? And if she did…

Logic - She would investigate further. And possibly get rid of *us*.

“We’ll have to warn her to not press stop, though...how are we going to explain that to her?” I ask.

Shuichi shakes his head.

“I think it might be better for us to keep this to ourselves…”

“...I guess so.”

Esprit De Corps - But then…

Inland Empire - It’ll be fine.

“We should...get going.” I suggest.

Shuichi nods, looking at the map in my left hand.

“We’ll check out the rest of the dots tomorrow - make sure there’s nothing left.”

“For now, go to sleep, Kaede. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He smiles.

‘Hidden Room’ has been added to the Truth Bullets section in your Monopad.

I look at my Monopad, slightly shocked.

Shuichi sighs.

“I suppose it doesn’t really matter anymore…”

Hidden Room

Kaede Akamatsu and Shuichi Saihara found a hidden room behind a bookshelf in the library, containing a futuristic computer and keyboard. Apparently, the computer stops voices in their head from transmitting, or something similar to that effect.

“Just rest up for tonight, Kaede.”

10:52 PM

I walk through the dark corridors of Hope’s Peak, walking down the stairs towards the dorms.

“We were supposed to only be here for a day…” I sigh.

Shuichi nods.

“Do you miss your family?”

“I don’t know...I don’t even remember them…”

Inland Empire - If you don’t remember them...doesn’t it mean they aren’t important?

Volition - That’s a terrible outlook. She didn't even remember her name at the start. Was that not important?

Shuichi tilts his head worriedly.

“You’d like to meet them?”

I nod.

“I mean...it’s better than them not knowing that I don’t even remember them, isn’t it? I want to see them again. Just to see what they’re like.”

11:03 PM

I sit down on the bed, staring at the map.

“Revachol…”

I let out a loud sigh.

“Why does everything have to be so confusing?”

Perception (Sight) - The dots on the map are like patches of color on the piece of paper.

Logic - Patches of color...

Perception - The buzz of the nightlight hums. The map gives off a yellow-hue, in the air-conditioned room.

Inland Empire - Mukuro. Junko. Ryoko...they’re all related to this somehow.

Logic (Success) - ...Hey. Four-Eyes.

Perception (Sight) - Hm?

What are you talking about this time?

Logic - That one time. Didn't you say that Junko seemed…

Perception (Sight) - Slightly larger and different, yeah. Why?

Volition - You have to be kidding. Is this about that whole ‘identical twin’ thing? Cause they’re sisters?

Wait..

Inland Empire - Let’s hear him out first, yeah?

Perception (Hearing) - That time, outside the warehouse - we heard Junko, too...

Right. She was with a guy…

Inland Empire - And - assuming that the other person was actually a guy - the only other person that could’ve had that voice…

Logic - Is Mukuro, is it not?

Volition - Uh.

Logic - We saw her too.

Perception (Sight) - Now that I think about it…

Perception (Sight) (Success) - The...the makeup! Mukuro had freckles, and so did Junko the first time we saw her! But - the second time...the freckles just disappeared.

Wait, you didn't point this o-

Logic - So - theoretically. When we saw Junko the first time…

Volition - It was Mukuro?!

Uh...so…

Rhetoric - But then...what about the second time? Was that really her?

Logic - We can’t be sure. It could be someone completely different for all we know. It’s hard to piece together - because of the whole ‘analyst’ thing, but…

Volition - Was she really manipulating us to...or...wait.

Logic - Hm? We don’t see you coming up with crazy theories often.

Volition (Success) - When we saw through her...was it just me, or did the things we were saying not really...correlating with Shuichi?

I mean...I guess…

Volition - Like...I specifically pointed out ‘What’s under *her* cardigan?’, but…

Volition - That guy over there said ‘PROTECT *HIM*’. There’s no way we’re as easily manipulated as that. We knew who we were analyzing - the person in the cardigan. Right? Sure...we can not notice things, but we’re pointing out something completely wrong.

Electrochemistry - Come on, man! Why me?!

Wait, so...you’re saying that...

Logic (Success) - IT WAS A GUY?!

11:05 PM

Wait, but then...how didn't *we* notice?

Volition (Failed) - I can’t think of anything. I don’t add *flair*, as I said. I just keep you going, noticing things isn’t part of my job.

Perception (Sight) - As I said, they looked larger the second time, specifically in the chest area. They didn't have freckles either. I can’t outright point out if it’s a man or a woman.

Logic - Maybe someone who’s good at disguising themselves? The fact that they had a chest in the first place...

Encyclopedia - Maybe.

I let out a loud sigh.

Endurance - We should talk about this tomorrow. We should rest up for tonight.

Volition - We have a long day tomorrow, Kaede. Listen to him.

...Alright...

I close my eyes, blanket still over me.

Shivers (Success) - The map on the table emanates a soft voice. One you’ve heard, time and time again.

Shivers - NOW IS THE TIME. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR ROOM.

H-Huh?

I sit up from the bed, looking at my Monopad.

12:08 AM

Shivers - THEY ARE HERE.

They?

Shivers - MUKURO AND THE IMPOSTER.

Wait, what?!

Shivers - BE CAREFUL. STAY AWAKE - BUT DO NOT LEAVE THE SAFETY OF THIS ROOM.

But…

Volition - You need to listen to him.

Shivers - IT IS NOT SAFE OUTSIDE.

Then...what am I supposed to do?

Shivers - INFORM KYOKO WITH THE MESSENGER. THAT IS ALL YOU CAN DO.

I-Alright…

I look at my Monopad, swiping until I find the messenger app.

Interfacing - Your hands are shaky. We can do this.

Interfacing - You scroll through the list of students quickly, eyes scanning.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - There! Kyoko Kirigiri! Right under Korekiyo, and above Kyosuke!

I quickly tap on the contact, and start typing.

Wait, what do I say to her?

Shivers - TELL THEM THAT SOMEONE IS BREAKING RYOKO OUT.

Wait, what?!

Shivers - JUST DO IT.

How do you know?

Shivers - IN THE CITY, I LISTEN.

Interfacing (Failed) - In a hurry, your fingers fail to coordinate properly.

Interfacing - Kyoko, someathing is wrang heor! Th

Composure (Success) - Getting panicked only makes the typing worse. Deep breaths.

Interfacing (Success) - Kyoko, something’s wrong! I think someone here’s trying to break Ryoko out!

I quickly tap the send button.

Interfacing - The message box is sent, starting off grey.

Weird...I’ve neve-

Interfacing - Suddenly, it turns blue.

Logic - She read your message.

So that’s why the others were all blue! Makes sense.

Interfacing - What do you mean? She asks.

Interfacing - I don’t know, exactly. But - I’m pretty sure Mukuro and someone else is in Hope’s Peak right now.

Interfacing - Well...thanks for the warning. I’ll check it out.

Esprit De Corps - You can almost feel the worry coming from her end.

Shivers - NOW, WE WAIT. I WILL INFORM YOU TO LEAVE.

12:12 AM

“An intruder?” The headmaster looks at me worriedly.

“Are you sure this tip is to be believed?”

I nod.

Reassurance - “It’s from someone I trust. I’ll be careful, too.”

He narrows his eyes at me.

“Well...I suppose you’ll be fine.”

Notice - The sweat on his neck betrays what he says.

“Good night, dad.” I close the door behind me.

In the dark, I slowly walk towards the Ultimate Detective Lab.

Shadowing (Success) - You slip into the shadows - and wait.

12:13 AM

Deduction - She’s here. The scratches...the computer. She’s here.

“I know you’re still here, Tsumugi.”

Detection - Only silence answers you.

Detective’s Hunch - The room itself doesn’t house where she is. She’s close - under the floor.

I walk towards the table, and open up the hatch under it.

Deduction - Nothing here...

“Shuichi. What are you doing here?” Tsumugi’s voice comes from the computer.

I look up.

Insight - The screen is black. The monitor’s turned off.

“Tsumugi...what’s going on? Why are you hiding so much from us? You are...our friend, right? Why are yo-”

“You still don’t understand, do you?”

Bond - On the other side of the screen, she grits her teeth.

“Kaede. She screwed everything up. Do you really want the truth, Shuichi Saihara? The weakest detective of all time?”

Amour Propre - No, you’re wrong!

“The...truth?” I question.

“Do you really want to know?”

Duality - We should be careful here.

Deduction - What do you mean? It’s obvious what the option is here!

Duality - No. Remember - the truth always hurts.

Analyzation - Her voice shakes. She’s unstable right now - we’re not going to get another opportunity like this one.

Recollection - She ran away last time - because she didn't want to admit this truth to you. Be careful.

“...Alright. I’ll listen.”

4:17 AM

Shivers - SHUICHI CONFRONTS THE MASTERMIND - NOT ALONE.

What do you mean?

Inland Empire - He means that Shuichi doesn’t need your help. Instead…

Shivers - KYOKO SLIPS INTO THE LAB, UNNOTICED BUT UNARMED.

Inland Empire - Help *her*.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

“So everything...up to this point…” My eyes widen.

Deduction (Success) - Was…

“A lie?”

Tsumugi giggles a bit.

“Well, I wouldn’t outright say *a lie*. Though...if you were to say your *existence* was a lie, I guess you’re not wrong.”

“Though...this project was a bit more trouble than it’s worth.”

“How can you...say that?” I ask, slightly shocked.

Amour Propre - Everything...was fictional?

Amour Propre (Failed) - We can’t...we can’t fight for a fictional world...can we?

“Well, we had to outsource this season to some people that were developing an RPG game. And damn did they screw up our newest season! I still don’t get how they let you guys escape from the *first chapter*.”

Bond (Success) - She’s laughing, but she’s bitter about it.

Amour Propre - There’s no point. We’re just in a wicked game, forced to play.

“Wait...so we’re in...a game?”

“No, you idiot. We’re in a reality TV show.”

Deduction - Wait...so far, she hasn’t mentioned a single thing about the voices or anything. Are those always in a Danganronpa season?

“Wait, then what about the voices?” I question.

“...Voices? Are you already going insane from despair from the truth?”

Ingenuity - Wait, so she doesn’t know…

Abstraction - So that’s why she got veered off course. The developers added in *us*. Then - with that, you guys managed to escape from the Academy for Gifted Juveniles. Doesn’t that mean that we’re…

Deduction - RPG mechanics. I guess we were supposed to be the character’s skills or something.

Kinship - I...don’t think it’s a very good idea to communicate all of this to Kaede, so I won’t.

“So everything...was fictional?”

“You’re still hung up about that? Well...if it makes you feel any better - only your personalities are. The people themselves are still real.”

She sighs.

“Especially with the modifications those indie developers made…they were only tasked with the sets and writing, damn it...” She mumbles.

“Modifications?”

“Yeah - you and Kaede were acting *really* out of character. It’s almost like...something else was controlling you. Like the developers added…*something* to you two…”

Deduction - So they had an idea.

Ingenuity - It does...make sense.

“Well...either way…the higher-ups are not going to be happy about this season.”

Bond - On the other side, she makes a fist. 

“Danganronpa’s all about the killing game - not some weird...existential crisis reality TV show. And then I had to get trapped too...”

“You got trapped?” I ask nervously.

“Yes, because *Kaede* decided to get you guys out in Chapter 1 - which literally brought us out of the world and brought us to a completely different one.” 

“Which is…”

“Here. Yes. Apparently another world.”

“Then...what is *our* world?”

“The original world. The one with the academy and killing game.”

“You- You keep talking about this killing game...would we really have been forced to kill each other?”

Amour Propre - There is no escape. Everything comes back - to them.

“What do you think? You want to know what happened?”

Amour Propre - The truth only hurts. What’s the point?

Deduction - We must find it, however painful it may be.

Ingenuity - We must see it.

Abstraction - We must understand it.

Sanity (Success) - This...doesn’t make sense. She’s lying...right?

Insight - Let’s go, detective. We can do this.

“Let me ask you, Shuichi. Who do you think would have died first?”

Detection - Something’s wrong. This is...off...

“Was it...me?”

“It was supposed to be Rantaro. But who do you think killed him?”

Detection (Success) - Tread carefully, Detective! Something is *very* wrong here!

“I..don’t know.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

I open the door out of my room slowly, walking towards the main building.

Shivers - HEAD UPSTAIRS. TOWARDS THE DETECTIVES’ LAB.

A-Alright.

I turn the corner, carefully sticking to the wall.

Savoir Faire (Success) - ‘WOOSH!’

Savoir Faire - You sneak around. Bag flowing about in the night and the dark like wind in a tunnel.

Shivers - The building is new. Recently built - maybe about three months ago.

Perception (Hearing) - The school is completely silent. Nothing is out there.

Perception - As far as we can hear and see…

Inland Empire - Wrong.

So...there’s someone there?

Inland Empire - If you see it that way.

In the dark, I peek around a corner, leading into the Detectives’ lab.

Perception (Hearing) - Silence so far. We should get moving.

Alright.

I quickly jog over to the door.

Perception (Sight) - There’s a card reader here. 

Logic - Probably to keep unauthorized personnel out.

Crap. What do we do then?

Interfacing (Success) - We play around a bit. This seems like a pretty old RFID card reader.

Reaction Speed - Wait, your Monopad has those functions as well.

Logic - Though it’s unlikely that it’ll let you through. This is the ‘Ultimate Detective’s lab’.

Interfacing - Yeah. It’s likely your Monopad doesn’t have authentication to get through…

Encyclopedia - And who would have authentication? Shuichi, Kyoko, teachers…

Logic - Yeah...I don’t think we can grab their keycards right now.

Shivers - SHUICHI IS BUSY. WE CAN’T ASK HIM.

Interfacing - So, either we get a card cloner, or…

Interfacing - We toy around with the reader itself.

Interfacing - Fingers ready, Pianist!

Perception (Success) - Someone’s trying to sneak up on you from behind.

Empathy - No malicious intent.

I turn around slowly.

“And what are you doing here, young lady?” Koichi’s voice comes from behind me.

“Mr. Kizakura?”

He pulls the fedora down a bit.

“I promised him to keep her safe. You were the one that gave her that tip, right?”

“Wait, how did y-”

“Let’s go - I have a feeling that something’s really wrong here too.”

He taps his card on the reader.

Interfacing - Hey! You can’t just…

“...Alright.” I nod.

He grins.

“Well, let’s get going.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

“That’s...a lie.” I narrow my eyes.

“Well, that’s what you’d like to believe.” She pushes her glasses up.

Detection - There’s no question about it, Detective. It was a lie.

“At least - a half-truth. There’s no way…”

“Oh, no. She rolled the ball. Why’d you think you got that sudden headache when you saw that shot-put ball in the gym?”

Detection - That’s a lie too. She’s not sure how you remembered.

“You don’t know why we got that headache too. You’re...grasping at straws, aren’t you?”

She smiles.

“Well, you can keep lying to yourself. I’ll tell you this - she definitely tried to kill Rantaro.”

Analyzation - Wait a minute…

Analyzation (Failed) - Nope. Nothing wrong here. The screen is as blank as always...

“...” I place my finger under my chin.

Deduction (Success) - “If what you said is true...then the entire game was scripted out?” I ask.

She nods.

“H-How is that a killing *game*, then? That’s just...a show of death...for people’s entertainment.”

“It’s what the people want!” She laughs.

“And it’s not like it matters. You think you’re real?”

“R-Real?”

“You’re just fictional characters. What did you think the Writer and Reader projects were for?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Koichi turns the corner, pistol in hand.

Hand/Eye Coordination - H&K USP. This is Special Forces equipment.

Perception (Sight) - Lights in the room are off.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - The modern room seems exactly the same. Evidence locker on the left gated off. Fax machine, papers and reports on your right on a table labelled ‘Paperwork’.

Perception (Sight) - In a corner of the room, the room labelled ‘INTERROGATION’ sits ajar.

Perception (Sight) - While on the opposite corner, the room labelled ‘SUSPECT HOLDING’ is completely open.

“Ko- Mr. Kizakura...the door is open.” I point to the interrogation room.

He nods.

“We’ll check that out first.” He whispers back.

Esprit De Corps - The Suspect Holding is a distraction - he thinks.

We quietly walk over to the door.

He approaches the door, gun in his right hand.

Perception (Sight) - His left hand is shaking a slight bit.

Esprit De Corps - Three. Two. One. NOW!

He slowly opens the door, aiming down the sights.

Perception (Success) - Nothing. Just an empty, dark room.

“There’s nothing in here.” I whisper.

“Oh, yeah. Because I didn't notice.”

“Hey! I’m just trying to help!”

“Shh! We have to check out the Interrogation room next.”

He approaches the door, slowly peeking out.

“Kyoko!” He shouts suddenly, running in.

Logic - This can’t be good. He sees the Detective.

“Hey, wait!”

I look into the room.

Perception (Sight) - Between the man’s legs - you can see the purple-haired detective, eyes closed and hands tied behind her back.

“W-What happened?” He asks worriedly, untying the bindings.

Kyoko slowly opens her eyes.

“W-What’s going on?” She rubs her eyes a slight bit.

Perception (Failed) - The shadows...something seems...off...

“Good night.”

Perception (Hearing) - Wait, what?!

Perception (Sight) - From the right corner of the room, a small figure strikes the man on the thigh, before he collapses.

Encyclopedia - He’s in shock, Pianist! Not good. He’s in intense pain right now.

Savoir Faire (Success) - You quickly slip back into the shadows, around a corner.

Perception (Sight) (Success) - You peek out slightly in the dark. The small figure looks down at the man, a small hunting knife in hand.

Composure (Success) - Deep breaths. We can do this, Pianist.

“M-”

Savoir Faire - Shut up, idiot! We need to be careful.

Savoir Faire - It doesn’t seem she heard you. Alright. Stick in the shadows.

“Koichi Kizakura. Still sticking by the Principal.” Mukuro says straight-laced.

Can we...save him?

“Mukuro Ikusaba. Still wit-” The man doesn’t finish his sentence, wrenching in pain.

Esprit De Corps - Your sister.

Physical Instrument (Failed) - No. Definitely not. We’re far too weak…

Hand/Eye Coordination - His gun! Look around for it!

I gently land myself on the ground.

“W-Why do you still...follow your sister?”

Perception (Sight) (Success) - In the dark, right around the door. He threw it away when he saw Kyoko.

“Because I love her.”

Logic - Like an idiot.

Esprit De Corps - But like a helpful idiot.

“But...she isn’t herself anymore…” Koichi murmurs.

Logic - What? What does he know?

Savoir Faire (Success) - So far, so good. We’re staying quiet, somehow.

Composure - You’re welcome.

My hand reaches about in the shadows, looking for the gun.

Perception (Success) - THERE! YOU JUST BRUSHED IT!

“We know. We have a way to turn her back.” Mukuro answers.

My hand finds a solid grip on the gun, before I quietly pick the gun up.

Still prone on the ground, I aim down the sights of the gun.

Hand/Eye Coordination (Success) - Breath. Breath. That’s the most important part. Both hands. Finger on the trigger, but don’t pull it yet.

Hand/Eye Coordination - The gun feels strange in your hand. You haven’t held one in so long...

“So, Koichi Kizakura, would you trade your life for hers?” Mukuro looks towards Kyoko.

“Yes.”

Esprit De Corps - The answer comes with no hesitation.

Mukuro nods in the dark, kneeling down, hunting knife in hand.

Hand/Eye Coordination - A bit left...and down…

Hand/Eye Coordination - Then...pull it...slowly...

Hand/Eye Coordination - *BZZZZZT*

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

“So Kaede...and the others...were just…”

“Tools for me to turn the world back to the way it was! See, you’re learning!” Tsumugi laughs.

“You…”

Amour Propre (Failed) - Yeah. That’s all we were...tools.

My eyes start closing slowly. Elbows on the table and hands covering my eyes.

Detective’s Hunch - White dots appear in the dark.

Deduction - What even is the point now? We’re all fictional. All the work - all the blood, sweat and tears. All our friends…

Patience - Shuichi...take your time. You don’t have to…

Sh-Shut up! Just…

Recollection (Success) - All those contradictions in the world. Ultimate Despair. All of that was fictional, Detective. There’s no point…

B-But…

Sanity (Failed) - What even is reality at this point?

Research - We can’t know for sure. The pale? The isolas? The *world*? Elysium? All of it might be fictional.

Rationality - Accept it, Detective.

Insight - There isn’t much to it other than that.

Y-You…

Detection (Failed) - ...Detective. If I were to talk to you now, would you even listen?

Huh?

Detection - You seem like you’ve already given up. I don’t want to waste my breath.

Cri de Coeur - Detective! Don’t fall for what they’re saying!

Cri de Coeur (Failed) - Please!

But...

Homme Fatale (Success) - What - are you going to let her down, too?

Kinship (Success) - Yeah! We can’t just let it go. We can’t let *us* go.

Bond (Failed) - Maki. Kaito. Kaede. All of us were fictional. What friends do you have in this world?

??? (Success) - You have us.

W-Who’s there?

I quickly turn behind me, to see a misty group.

??? - Keep going, Sidekick!

Kaito pumps his fists, doing a small jump.

4:25 AM

Maki places her hand on Kaito’s forehead.

“You don’t even have a fever.”

Kaito starts laughing, before coughing.

“Ouch…”

Maki sighs.

“You really thought you were okay?”

“You’re sick, Kaito. Please…”

“I’m fine.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

“...Surprise.” Tsmugi’s voice comes from behind me.

I quickly turn around, seeing her point a gun at me.

In surprise, I fall off the chair, making the chair slam on the ground loudly.

Behind her, the hatch lays open.

“There was a second layer.” She pushes her glasses up.

“Oh, and you should be more careful with your belongings, Detective.” She smiles, looking at the pistol for a moment.

I feel around my hip.

“Damn it.”

“Even if you had it, what would you do? You’re just a weak detective. You wouldn’t shoot me.”

“...You’re right.’

“But...they will.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

“Kaede…you were here?” Koichi turns around in surprise.

“Idiot. Why’d you throw the pistol away like that?” Kyoko feels around her wrists.

“I couldn’t help it.” He pulls down his fedora.

“Thank you, Kaede.” Kyoko looks at me.

Empathy - Genuine appreciation.

Esprit De Corps - You don’t hear that very often from *that* Ultimate Detective…

I laugh nervously.

“It’s fine…”

My eyes hover over Mukuro, before back to the ‘gun’ in my hand.

“A taser?”

Koichi smiles.

“A small trick. You’re lucky I knocked her out when I did.”

“Yeah, well you’re lucky I grabbed your ‘gun’!” I say in retaliation, crossing my arms.

He laughs.

“I...I’m sorry. Thank you, Kaede.”

Esprit De Corps - Even though it doesn’t show…

Empathy - He’s truly sorry.

“I’m still surprised she went down so quickly…” Kyoko looks at Mukuro.

“Hey, if you were hit by 300 million volts, you’d go down quick too.” Koichi stands up.

“But...what’s the point of a gun like this?” I ask.

“If people heard of Hope’s Peak staff *shooting* people, that’d be a slight problem.” Koichi smiles.

Logic - He’s not wrong.

Esprit De Corps - There’d be a public outrage. A PR disaster.

He takes the pistol off my hand.

“...So what do we do about her?” I ask, pointing to Mukuro.

“We keep her somewhere safe. Safer than here.”

Logic - “But what place could be safer than here? This is Hope’s Peak - one of the most secure facilities on Earth.”

Kyoko tilts her head.

“I think I know a place.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maki points the pistol towards Tsumugi.

“Sorry. We had a bit of an issue outside.” Maki looks to me.

“Ah...it’s fine…”

“Put the gun down.” Maki grits her teeth.

Tsumugi simply smiles.

“Or else what?”

“Or else this bullet goes through your head.’”

“I could just shoot Shuichi first, you know? You’re not as fast as a bullet.”

“Am I?” Maki narrows her heyes.

“And how would you know, Cosplayer?”

Tsumugi starts laughing.

Bond - She’s amused by Maki’s naivete.

“Did you forget? I *made* you!”

Duality - But we’ve grown since then. 

“So what if we were made? So what if we’re fictional?” I look away.

“What was that? I think you might’ve gone insane.”

Sanity - You’re fine...for now.

“You said that these games...it’s what the people want.”

She nods.

Bond - Unsure of your point.

Ingenuity (Success) - “Are we...really all fictional?” I question.

“Of course you are. You’re all fake characters made t-”

“Even though we might be fictional...the pain we go through...the suffering - that isn’t fictional!” I shout.

Abstraction (Success) - “This killing game might be fake. But the blood spilled in the tribunal wasn’t! The bullet that hit Kaede - that wasn’t either! My friends...my life - those aren’t fictional!”

“To those *outside* - this can be used as entertainment. But to *us* - we’re suffering. Every minute I turn a corner and wonder if I can be killed. If I can handle the pain of losing my friends over and over again!”

“But I’m done losing everyone. I’m done being scared. I…”

Tsumugi pulls back a slight bit.

“Your character wasn’t supposed t-”

“Kaito, now!” I shout.

“I got you, Sidekick!” He tackles Tsumugi on the ground, pushing the gun away from her.

I pull out a pair of handcuffs, as Tsumugi tries to kick Kaito away.

“It doesn’t matter to me whether what you said is true or not.”

“But...I want you to know this.” I latch one of the cuffs on her left wrist.

“We - aren’t fictional. The world might be - but we aren’t your toys.” I look up at the computer screen.

“You hear me? Whoever’s out there…”

“There’s no one out there.” Tsumugi shakes her head.

“We’re not broadcasting anything. We can’t. We’re in another world, remember?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A real world equivalent of Martinaise…

The man sighs.

“Still looking at that TV project?” A woman asks.

The man nods.

“They’ll be grateful one day. You’ve done so much for them…”

The man smiles.

“I know.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13 December 2019

“...Mukuro…” I tilt my head at her.

Perception (Sight) - She sits in the corner, hugging her knees.

“...Are you okay?”

She shakes her head.

“I wish I had someone else. Someone else...like a sister…”

Empathy (Failed) - “I’m sorry…”

Suddenly, I get pulled out of the world.

9:42 AM

I sit up, breathing heavily.

“Same thing as yesterday morning?” Usami’s voice comes from the computer.

“Yeah, Miaya...same thing.”

She nods.

“The Neo World Program takes time to adjust to. Don’t worry. This is the last time you have to see her. I’ll make sure that she gets better and take care of the rest of the sessions as Usami.”

“Huh? Really? Why?”

“Chihiro’s coming back from Martinaise, thankfully. He’s gonna be able to help me out.”

I nod.

“Thanks for your help.” Usami’s voice says cheerily.

Perception (Sight) - Hajime gives you a knowing smile. As you stand up from the machine, he sits back down.

“Bye, Kaede.” Usami’s voice hums.

10:03 AM

“Tsumugi Shirogane….” Kyoko stares at the woman in blue.

Shuichi and I look at each other awkwardly.

“What do we do with her?” I ask.

Kyoko turns to us.

“We’re bringing her to Martinaise. You guys can’t follow, so...I need you to stay in Hope’s Peak for a bit. Watch out for anything that happens.”

Shuichi nods.

Inland Empire (Success) - Careful, Kaede. Power is shifting in the balance.

Shivers (Success) - BEWARE OF RYOKO.

“Then…”

“Then what?” She asks.

“What if something does happen?”

“If you guys can’t handle it by yourselves...inform the headmaster. Otherwise - just deal with it if you can.”

I nod.

“Alright.”

“What about the Ryoko situation?” Shuichi questions.

“We’ll handle that once we get back. Until then, stay safe.” She opens the cell, guiding Tsumugi out of the room.

“I’ll see you guys later.”

She opens the door, and leaves the interrogation room.

I let out a loud sigh.

“What do we do now?” Shuichi asks.

“I think we look for Ryoko. Or just go to our lessons…”

Shuichi smiles.

“Alright.”

Shivers (Success) - “Hajime Hinata…” The man looks at a picture.

Shivers - Ryoko tilts her head.

Shivers - “Who’s that?”

Shivers - “Someone who can save you, Ryoko. Don’t worry about it. He’ll bring your memories back.”

Shivers - “Really?! Okay!”

“Shuichi...I think we should watch over the people in the Neo World Program.”

Shuichi looks at me questioningly.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

14 February, 2020

I place down the flowers on the grave.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Kaito.”

“...” I look away, sighing.

My mind flashes back to when Kaito tackled Tsumugi.

Blood...so much…

I grit my teeth.

“Why did you have to...play the hero?”

Kaito’s coughs echo in my mind.

“...I’ll find the truth for you, Kaito. With Kaede and Shuichi. I’ll make sure they’re safe.”

“They said they were going to go after Hajime. He got kidnapped last week.”

I chuckle to myself.

“They’re just as hopeful as ever...I’ll make sure they’re safe for you, Kaito.” She looks up towards the sky.

“Mukuro. Ryoko. Ryota. I’ll make them pay.” 

Instincts - You *have* to do this. You can’t let him down.

“Who’s there?!” I look around.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shivers - AND THEN, THERE WERE FOUR CHOSEN DOTS IN THE WORLD.

Huh?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> This marks the end of this fic, though I don't think it was a particularly...satisfying ending.
> 
> With that being said - I hope you enjoyed reading this fic!

**Author's Note:**

> Remember - critiques and feedback are greatly appreciated. If there's something you didn't like about the latest chapter/a past chapter, please do let me know.


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